Subjective age and adiposity: evidence from five samples.

Obesity is a significant public health issue with increasing prevalence among middle-aged and older adults. The present study tested whether subjective age, that is how old or young individuals perceive themselves to be, is related to both BMI and waist circumference in five samples of middle-aged and older adults (total N > 24,000; aged 34 to 105 years). Cross-sectional analyses that accounted for demographic variables revealed that an older subjective age was related to higher BMI and waist circumference in the five samples. Feeling older was related to a 10-20% higher likelihood of BMI ≥ 30 and a 11-25% higher likelihood of exceeding the obesity-related threshold for waist circumference. For most associations, age felt was more consistently and strongly related to adiposity than chronological age. The overall pattern was confirmed by a meta-analysis of the five samples. The present research adds subjective age to the list of factors related to obesity across adulthood.