participants were selected form the Medical Research Council Ely Study (24,25), a prospective population-based cobort study of the etilogy and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders. the volun teers were examined between 1994 and 1996 (basline) and again between 2001 and 2003 (follow-up). the median follow-up duration was 5.6 years. a cohort of 739 (311 male and 428 female) subject provided complete data on anthropometric and body composition variables and physicalactivity energy expenditure data at basline, of these, 240 volunteers were aged >65 years at follow-up and were excluded for safety reasons from