The “dad bod” has been lauded as the new shape of sexy. But the more overweight you are, new research suggests, the more likely you are to die prematurely.
Weight gain in early and middle adulthood will increase health risks later in life, according to a recent study by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
People who gained a moderate amount of weight (5 to 22 pounds) before the age of 55 increased their risk of premature death, chronic diseases and decreased the likelihood of achieving healthy aging, the study found. And the higher the weight gain, the greater risk of chronic diseases.
People who gained a moderate amount of weight (5 to 22 pounds) before the age of 55 increased their risk of premature death, chronic diseases and decreased the likelihood of achieving healthy aging.
“Our study is the first of its kind to systematically examine the association of weight gain from early to middle adulthood with major health risks later in life,” senior author Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition, said in a statement. The study analyzed data from nearly 93,000 participants.
Women gained an average of 22 pounds over this time, while men gained 19 pounds. “The findings indicate that even a modest amount of weight gain may have important health consequences.” Worse, early and middle adulthood is the time of life most people actually gain weight, as their metabolism slows, recurring knee and back injuries become more common, studies show; many people are also less active in their 30s and 40s when they work longer hours and have more responsibilities than, say, their carefree early 20s.
