Even moderate weight gain between the ages of 18 and 55 increases the risk of type 2 diabetes or obesity-related cancers.
Excess pounds accumulated between early adulthood and fifties take a toll on heart health, warns american study published in the scientific journal JAMA. A harmful weight gain even if it is moderate.
Researchers from Harvard University (United States) have, in fact, shown that men or women who gain between 2 and 9 kilos before age 55 have an increased risk of chronic diseases, a poorer quality of life and are more likely to die prematurely. These risks increase with weight gain.
They came to this conclusion by studying nearly 93,000 participants. The women were followed from 1976 to 2012 and the men from 1986 to 2012. During all these years, the weight of the volunteers was scrupulously raised. On average, women gained almost 10 kilos between the ages of 18 and 55, men around 8.6 kg.
Physical and cognitive health
Compared to participants who maintained a stable weight throughout their lives, those who gained weight appeared to be less healthy. They are more affected by diabetes or hypertension. They also score lower on physical and cognitive abilities tests.
According to the researchers’ analysis, for every 5 kilos taken between 18 and 55 years old, the risk of type 2 diabetes increases by 30%, the risk of being hypertensive by 14%, and the risk of cardiovascular disease by 8%. The study also highlights an increased risk of developing obesity-related cancers such as digestive cancers. Consequence: Men and women who fail to maintain their youthful weight are 5% more likely to die prematurely, and 17% less likely to age in good health.
Keep your youthful weight
“Our study is the first to examine the association between weight gain between the late teens and fifties, and health risks,” notes Prof. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard University and responsible for the work. These results indicate that even moderate weight gain has a significant impact on health ”.
The researchers emphasize that this significant impact is mainly linked to the pounds accumulated over the years. Therefore, they recommend paying attention to those few grams taken here and there which are not noticeable at the beginning. They also stress the importance of adopting a balanced diet and practicing regular physical activity to prevent the pounds from building up.
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