Researchers looked at earlier cohort studies that found an association between midlife weight loss from lifestyle changes and a lower risk of developing chronic disease and all-cause mortality.
One of the goals of their study was to expand the scope of health benefits that people incur from weight loss beyond diabetes.
The researchers hope that these findings inspire more people to make healthier choices to better their health and wellness long-term.
A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Helsinki explored the benefits associated with midlife weight loss that come strictly from lifestyle adjustments.
Their work found that this type of weight loss was associated with overall longer life, as well as a lower risk of several serious health concerns, including type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more.
The study
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from three previous cohort studies – the Whitehall II study (1985-1988), the Helsinki Businessmen Study (1964-1973), and the Finnish Public Sector study (2000-2013).
These datasets included information on over 23,000 participants between the ages of 30 and 50. Depending on the specific study, the participants were followed between 12 and 35 years, and their heights and weights were taken at various points throughout the studies.
The researchers grouped the participants based on their starting weight and body mass indices (BMIs), and then their weight journey over the course of their studies – whether they lost weight, maintained the weight loss, or gained the weight back. They compared the groups to hospitalization and death records to determine the health risks and benefits.
The researchers’ primary goal was to understand the health benefits associated with weight loss that come from lifestyle adjustments beyond diabetes.
“The benefits of lifestyle-based weight management are widely discussed, even though studies have found it surprisingly difficult to demonstrate health benefits beyond the prevention of diabetes,” Professor Timo Strandberg said in a news release.
The results
The biggest takeaway from the study was that maintained weight loss in middle age was associated with several health benefits.
Ultimately, making lifestyle changes and losing weight was associated with several health improvements. Those who lost 6.5% of their body weight had a lower risk of developing several chronic diseases, as well as a lower risk of all-cause mortality.
The researchers explained that maintenance of the weight loss was key – the participants who were able to keep the weight off were more likely to have the best health outcomes.
“I hope the findings will inspire people to see that lifestyle changes can lead to major health improvements and a longer life,” Strandberg said. “This is particularly important today as more people are overweight than when the collection of our research data began 35 years ago.”
What role do weight loss drugs play?
These cohort studies were conducted before weight loss surgery had grown in popularity and before weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy were available. While these tools are valuable for health care, these findings indicate that lifestyle changes can also be effective.
“In contrast to surgical or pharmacological interventions, where weight loss typically ranges from 20% to 25%, the relative weight reduction of 6.5% observed in our study was more modest,” they wrote.
“Despite this, our findings highlight clinically meaningful long-term health benefits in the general population. Unlike our participants, individuals undergoing surgical or pharmacological interventions predominantly have obesity and are at higher health risk. It remains uncertain whether the long-term benefits observed in our study extend to these interventions, where greater weight loss may be accompanied by a concurrent and potentially significant loss of lean body mass, which could pose challenges over time.”