Summary: A long-term research of 23, 000 people from Finland and the UK found that obese people who lost only 6.5 % of their body weight in the first few years of life and maintained the weight over the years enjoyed considerable health advantages. One of the first studies to link reasonable, sustained fat loss with lower mortality outside the perspective of insulin protection, the study, which spans 12 to 35 years.
Scientists claim that managing lifelong pounds can significantly increase longevity and wellness outcomes, preferably by keeping a BMI under 25. These findings provide convincing proof that regular lifestyle changes are beneficial for the long term, especially as obesity rates worldwide rise.
Important Information
- Continual Weight Loss: Early in the middle of a person’s life, losing and keeping only 6.5 % of body weight reduced mortality risk.
- Long-Term Study: The study provided reliable duration data by tracking individuals over the course of 12 to 35 times.
- The greatest health benefits are associated with a BMI below 25 throughout career.
University of Helsinki as supply
Over a 12- to 35-year time, a University of Helsinki research tracked 23, 000 people from Finland and the UK who were 30 to 50 at the beginning.
Health advantages were discovered in obese men and women who lost an average of 6.5 % of their body fat in the first year of middle age and maintained it throughout the 12- to 35-year follow-up time.
It is crucial to maintain pounds.
Even though studies have found it unexpectedly difficult to demonstrate health benefits beyond diabetes protection, Professor , Timo Strandberg, says,” The benefits of lifestyle-based fat management are widely discussed.”  ,
This difference is being filled by the review he led.
” I hope the results may inspire people to realize that life modifications can significantly improve health and prolong life. This is especially crucial nowadays because more people are overweight than before the start of our study data collection 35 years ago.
The study also supports the notion that a lifelong body mass index ( BMI ) under 25 is ideal for optimal health.  ,  ,
The study was published in the American Medical Association’s open-access blog, JAMA Network Open.
About this information on research on endurance and weight loss.
Author: Hannamaija Helander
Source: University of Helsinki
Contact: Hannamaija Helander – University of Helsinki
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Classic research: Free of charge.
Timo Strandberg and colleagues ‘” Weight Loss in Midlife, Chronic Disease Incidence, and All-Cause Mortality During Prolonged Follow-Up” Open JAMA Network
Abstract
Weight Loss in the middle of life, the incidence of chronic diseases, and all-cause morbidity during extended follow-up
Importance
Some studies have looked at the long-term health benefits of weight reduction among people who have lost weight without tying it to a decrease in diabetes risk.
Objective
To examine the long-term relationship between body mass index ( BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared ) changes during healthy midlife ( between 40 and 50 years ) and later-life morbidity and mortality.
Design, Setting, and Participants , ,
The Whitehall II study ( WHII, baseline, 1985-1988 ), the Helsinki Businessmen Study ( HBS, baseline, 1964-1973 ), and the Finnish Public Sector study ( FPS, baseline, 2000 ) were the three cohorts whose height and weight measurements were repeated in this cohort study. Participants were divided into 4 groups based on their initial 2 pounds evaluations and followed up on morbidity and mortality results. Data assessments were conducted between February 11, 2024, and February 20, 2025.
Exposures
Midlife BMI changes were classified as frequent BMI changes from 25 or greater to 25 or greater, frequent BMI changes from 25 or greater to 25 or greater, and frequent BMI changes from 25 or greater to 25 or greater.
Main Results and Measures ,  ,
In addition to the affair chronic disease, which included type 2 diabetes, coronary infarction, stroke, cancers, pneumonia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, all-cause mortality was assessed in HBS and WHII. These results were derived from national health registry linked electronic health records.
Results
There were 23 149 participants, including 4118 men and women ( median]IQR] age at first visit, 39]37-42] years, 2968 men]72.1 % ] ) from WHII, 2335 men ( median]IQR] age at first visit, 42]38-45] years ) from HBS, and 16 696 men and women ( median]IQR] age at first visit, 39]34-43] years, 13 785 women]82.6 % ] ) from FPS.
After controlling for smoking, systolic blood pressure, and serum cholesterol at the initial evaluation, WHII participants with weight loss had a lower risk of developing chronic disease ( hazard ratio [HR] 0. 52, 95 % CI, 0. 0.35-0. 78 ) than participants with persistent overweight. After adjusting for smoking, systolic blood pressure, and serum cholesterol at the first evaluation, follow-up was median ( IQR ) of 22.8 ( 16. 9 to 23.3 ) years. This finding was replicated after excluding diabetes from the outcome ( HR, 0.58, 95 % CI, 0.37-0.90 ).
The corresponding HR in FPS was 0.43 (95 % CI, 0.29-0.66 ) over a median ( IQR ) follow-up of 12.2 ( 8.2-12.2 ) years. In HBS, weight loss was associated with decreased mortality ( HR, 0.81, 95 % CI, 0.68-0.96 ) during an extended follow-up ( median]IQR], 35]24-43] years ).
Conclusions and Relevance  , ,
In this study, which was conducted when clinical and physiological weight-loss programs were almost nonexistent, sustained midlife weight loss compared to prolonged overweight was linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases besides type 2 diabetes and a lower all-cause mortality.
