Exploring the obesity paradox – the association between body fat distribution and muscle mass on health in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

In older adults, obese individuals are more likely to have various diseases, but are less likely to die of them compared to normal weight individuals. This obesity paradox is likely observed because body mass index, the most common measure of obesity, is unable to differentiate between different kinds of fat and muscle mass. Measures such as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry can identify body composition in more detail. Using this more detailed information, the objective of this project is to determine if higher levels of “good fat” (subcutaneous adipose tissue) and muscle mass protect against the harmful effects of “bad fat” (visceral adipose tissue) in participants from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. We will examine the outcomes of incident heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, impaired lung function, and all-cause mortality.