When is the most dangerous time to become obese?
Obesity is a health problem that increases the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and various cancers, and also increases the risk of death. New research has revealed 'the most dangerous period in life to become obese.'
Weight trajectories and obesity onset between 17 and 60 years of age, and cause-specific mortality: the Obesity and Disease Development Sweden (ODDS) pooled cohort study - eClinicalMedicine
Early weight gain can have lifelong consequences | Lund University
https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/early-weight-gain-can-have-lifelong-consequences
Scientists Identify The Most Dangerous Time in Life to Gain Weight : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-identify-the-most-dangerous-time-in-life-to-gain-weight
While it has long been known that obesity increases the risk of various diseases, there has been a lack of research examining the relationship between weight changes over time and specific causes of death. Therefore, a research team led by Tanja Stocks, associate professor of epidemiology at Lund University in Sweden, investigated the impact of weight changes in adulthood on health.
The study utilized data from over 600,000 individuals tracked through various databases. Participants had at least three objective weight measurement records between the ages of 17 and 60, at various times such as during early pregnancy, military service, or at the time of study participation.
The research team analyzed weight changes between the ages of 17 and 60 and how they relate to overall mortality and mortality from various obesity-related diseases. Obesity was defined as the first time
The analysis revealed that people who became obese, especially in their early adulthood, had a higher risk of death. Those who became obese between the ages of 17 and 29 had approximately 70% higher risk of death from all causes compared to those who did not become obese until age 60. Stocks stated, 'The most consistent finding is that people who gained weight in their youth had a higher risk of premature death later in life compared to those who did not gain weight.'
The majority of these relationships are related to cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, suggesting that the 'duration of obesity' is a fundamental factor influencing mortality risk. In their paper, the research team argued that 'long-term exposure to insulin resistance , inflammation, and hypercoagulation caused by adipose tissue-released adipose tissue is thought to be a contributing factor to these mortality risks.'
While obesity was associated with deaths from type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, there were several causes of death, such as bladder cancer in men and stomach cancer in women, for which no statistically significant association was found. Furthermore, the risk of cancer death in women remained relatively constant regardless of the timing of weight gain.
Huyen Le, a doctoral student at Lund University and lead author of the paper, pointed out, 'If long-term exposure to obesity were the underlying risk factor, then the earlier weight gain occurs, the higher the risk should be. However, the fact that this is not the case suggests that other biological mechanisms may also be involved in women's cancer risk and survival rates.' She explained that one possible factor is the hormonal changes associated with menopause.
This study focused solely on weight and BMI, and did not consider exercise or diet, which are important for overall health. The research team suggested that adding data on exercise and diet could be an option for future studies, and that it would also be beneficial to conduct analyses that consider not only BMI but also body fat and muscle mass.
Nevertheless, this study is useful for seeing overall trends and serves as a message to policymakers and decision-makers. Stocks said, 'It is the responsibility of policymakers to implement measures that we know are effective in combating obesity. This study provides further evidence that such measures are likely to have a positive effect on people's health.'
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