Losing weight between early adulthood and midlife can limit the risk of early mortality, while weight loss after midlife would not have a significant influence on the risk of premature death.
- The study concluded that participants whose BMI shifts from the “obese” range in early adulthood to the “overweight” range in midlife halve their risk of dying prematurely.
- The researchers estimated that 3.2% of the deaths in the study could have been prevented if all obese participants had dropped to the lower stage of overweight in their 40s.
To fight against the risk of early death, certain periods of life are more crucial than others. A study by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) finds that changes in weight between young adulthood and midlife have the biggest effect on a person’s risk of premature death . Researchers estimate that 12.4% of early deaths in the United States can be attributed to higher body mass index (BMI) at any time during early to mid-adulthood. The results of this study were published on August 14 in the journal JAMA Network Open.
54% increased chance of early death in obese people
The study concluded that participants whose BMI shifts from the “obese” range in early adulthood to the “overweight” range in midlife halve their risk of dying prematurely. Furthermore, weight loss after quarantine did not significantly reduce participants’ risk of death. “The results point to a significant opportunity to improve population health through primary and secondary prevention of obesity, especially among younger people.”, advances the author of the study, Dr. Andrew Stokes, assistant professor of global health at BUSPH.
Researchers used data from 24,205 participants in a national health and nutrition survey between 1998 and 2015. They analyzed the relationship between change in volunteers’ BMI and the likelihood that a participant would die during of the period observed, controlling for other factors such as the sex of the participants, past and current smoking habits and the level of education. Researchers found that participants whose BMI ranged from the “obese” range at age 25 to the “overweight” range at midlife were 54% less likely to die early than participants whose BMI stayed within the range. “obese”. Participants who transition from obesity to overweight have a risk of death closer to that of participants whose BMI has been in the “overweight” range since they were 25 years old.
Deaths preventable by reducing weight
The researchers estimated that 3.2% of the deaths in the study could have been prevented if all obese participants had dropped to the lower stage of overweight in their 40s. They noted that weight loss is rare overall, and only 0.8% of participants had a BMI ranging from obese to overweight. “This study provides important new evidence on the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight throughout life”, warns the main author, doctor Wubin Xie.
The researchers did not find a similar reduction in the risk of death for participants who lost weight later in life. They speculate that this may be because weight loss later in life is more likely to be linked to deteriorating health as someone ages. “Although this study focuses on preventing premature death, maintaining a healthy weight will also reduce the burden of many chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.”, concluded the co-author of the study, Dr. JoAnn Manson.
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