Body mass index trajectories and functional decline in older adults: Three-City Dijon cohort study

{Obesity, whose prevalence is increasing, is associated with poor functional status at older ages. However, much of this evidence is cross-sectional with little known about longitudinal associations. We examined associations of body mass index (BMI), and change in BMI, with change in objective [walking speed (WS)] and self-reported (disability) measures of motor decline. Analyses included participants (65-85 years) from the Dijon center of the Three-City study (France) with up to five WS (N = 4007) and six disability assessments (N = 4478) over 11 years. Data were analyzed using regression models for repeated measures. Mean baseline WS was 153 cm/s. Compared to normal weight persons, obese participants at baseline walked slower and reported more disability; they also experienced 45 % faster WS decline (-18.63 vs. -12.85 cm/s/10 years