@article{(Open Science Index):https://publications.waset.org/pdf/340,
	  title     = {Variations of Body Mass Index with Age in Masters Athletes (World Masters Games)},
	  author    = {Walsh Joe and  Climstein Mike and  Heazlewood Ian Timothy and  Burke Stephen and  Kettunen Jyrki and  Adams Kent and  DeBeliso Mark},
	  country	= {},
	  institution	= {},
	  abstract     = {Whilst there is growing evidence that activity
across the lifespan is beneficial for improved health, there are
also many changes involved with the aging process and
subsequently the potential for reduced indices of health. The
nexus between health, physical activity and aging is complex
and has raised much interest in recent times due to the
realization that a multifaceted approached is necessary in
order to counteract a growing obesity epidemic. By
investigating age based trends within a population adhering to
competitive sport at older ages, further insight might be
gleaned to assist in understanding one of many factors
influencing this relationship.
BMI was derived using data gathered on a total of 6,071
masters athletes (51.9% male, 48.1% female) aged 25 to 91
years ( =51.5, s =±9.7), competing at the Sydney World
Masters Games (2009). Using linear and loess regression it
was demonstrated that the usual tendency for prevalence of
higher BMI increasing with age was reversed in the sample.
This trend in reversal was repeated for both male and female
only sub-sets of the sample participants, indicating the
possibility of improved prevalence of BMI with increasing
age for both the sample as a whole and these individual subgroups.
This evidence of improved classification in one index of
health (reduced BMI) for masters athletes (when compared to
the general population) implies there are either improved
levels of this index of health with aging due to adherence to
sport or possibly the reduced BMI is advantageous and
contributes to this cohort adhering (or being attracted) to
masters sport at older ages. Demonstration of this
proportionately under-investigated World Masters Games
population having an improved relationship between BMI and
increasing age over the general population is of particular
interest in the context of the measures being taken globally to
curb an obesity epidemic.},
	    journal   = {International Journal of Sport and Health Sciences},
	  volume    = {5},
	  number    = {5},
	  year      = {2011},
	  pages     = {775 - 778},
	  ee        = {https://publications.waset.org/pdf/340},
	  url   	= {https://publications.waset.org/vol/53},
	  bibsource = {https://publications.waset.org/},
	  issn  	= {eISSN: 1307-6892},
	  publisher = {World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology},
	  index 	= {Open Science Index 53, 2011},
	}