Losing weight in your 40s and 50s may seem unbearably hard — but it could keep you alive longer
Working to lose weight in your 40s and 50s may help to reduce your risk of developing a chronic disease, a new study reveals.
Researchers based in the U.K. and Finland say they found health benefits in people who lost an average of 6.5 percent of their body weight in early middle age and maintained that weight loss throughout a period of 12 to 35 years.
Those benefits especially include a lessened risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as an overall lower risk of death from chronic disease.
'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,' University of Helsinki professor Dr. Timo Strandberg said in a statement.
Strandberg was the lead author of the study which was published recently in the journal JAMA Network Open, the open-access journal of the American Medical Association.
To reach these conclusions, the study tracked and analyzed the health of 23,000 white Europeans who were between the ages of 30 and 50 years old using data from three studies, conducted from 1985 to 1988, from 1964 to 1973, and between 2000 and 2013.
They sorted the participants into four groups: people with persistent healthy weight, people who were overweight but became a healthy weight, people who were healthy and became overweight, and people who were overweight the entire time.
'Measurement of weight and height was conducted at a time when surgical and pharmacological weight-loss interventions were nearly nonexistent,' the authors noted. The cause of weight loss was not assessed, but given the age of the participants and lack of diagnosed disease, it was more likely intentional than caused by severe chronic conditions or frailty.'
In one study, a reduction in body mass from overweight to normal weight over six years in mid-life was tied to a lower risk of developing chronic diseases. There was also a 48 percent lower risk for chronic illness compared to those who remained overweight, which largely held even after excluding participants who developed diabetes during follow-up.
Another study showed a 57 percent risk for chronic illness. A third study, with the longest follow-up period, showed that weight loss in mid-life was associated with a 19 percent reduction in overall mortality.
'I'm certain that overall prevention of overweight and obesity starting in early life is absolutely the best thing to do,' Stranberg told The Independent. 'Our study indirectly proves this by showing that persistent healthy weight over the life-course is best.'
He said that he hopes the findings will inspire people to see that lifestyle changes can lead to a longer life.
'This is particularly important today as more people are overweight than when the collection of our research data began 35 years ago,' he said in the statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Officials warn pet owners about toxic chemicals found in fake medicines
Officials have issued an urgent warning to pet owners after toxic insecticides traces were found in a fake flea treatment. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and Veterinary Medicine Directorate (VMD) said pet owners should take caution when purchasing common medicines to ensure they are not counterfeit. It comes after a fake flea treatment caused Alan Wall's pet cat Smokey to fall seriously ill. Mr Wall, from Preston, had bought what appeared to be genuine Frontline flea treatment online for Smokey. The cat required emergency intestinal surgery followed by a week-long stay at the veterinary clinic, which led to significant bills. Mr Wall said: 'Smokey is more than just a pet, he's a member of our family. 'When he became ill after using what we believed was a genuine flea treatment, we were terrified. 'Watching him suffer, not knowing whether he would pull through, was heartbreaking. It's taken a huge emotional toll on all of us.' Mr Wall later had the product tested in a laboratory by experts at the University of Bath, who confirmed the presence of Pirimiphos-methyl, a dangerous insecticide toxic to cats. The VMD and IPO have now alerted pet owners to be vigilant to the signs of counterfeit products, which are illegal to sell in the UK. Those seeking bargains or a quick purchase online may unknowingly buy fake medicines or treatments. The counterfeits deliberately copy the appearance, packaging and branding of genuine veterinary products but lack proper active ingredients. This means they are ineffective or even harmful to pets, causing severe reactions including vomiting, muscle tremors, breathing difficulties, seizures and potentially death. Officials say owners should check for warning signs including poor packaging, spelling errors, missing information and unusual smells. Last year alone, the VMD issued 122 seizure notices for the selling of unauthorised animal medicines and supplements, preventing around 18,000 illegal items from reaching consumers. Mr Wall said: 'Without the support of our vets and the extensive surgery they performed we know Smokey wouldn't be with us today. 'We want to warn other pet owners about these fake products so that no one else has to endure what we've been through.' Sue Horseman from Bristol also purchased what appeared to be Frontline flea treatment online for her cat, but quickly became suspicious that the product was not genuine because it was difficult to open and smelt of white spirit and paraffin. While the online platform has removed the seller, they had already managed to sell 211 batches of suspected counterfeit pet medicines and supplements, including fake Frontline Flea and Tick Treatment and Pro Plan FortiFlora Probiotic Sachets for dogs and cats. New IPO research shows that counterfeit goods of all types are frequently purchased via global e-commerce websites. The figures also suggest that in 2024, nearly one in five (17%) consumers unknowingly purchased goods later found to be fake, with 60% of purchasers also saying that 'ease of purchasing' influenced their decision and 72% saying price was an important factor in their decision. Helen Barnham, the IPO's deputy director of enforcement, said: 'Counterfeiting is anything but a victimless crime and this latest discovery confirms this. 'If you suspect that any goods offered for sale may be counterfeit, you should always report this to your local Trading Standards or Crimestoppers Online.' Caroline Allen, RSPCA chief veterinary officer, said: 'We are very concerned about counterfeit vet treatments on sale which can be highly toxic to pets and we would always urge pet owners to seek professional veterinary advice if they have any health concerns. 'We appreciate financial pressures can lead to some owners to look for cheaper treatments online but they could be unwittingly putting their beloved pets in serious danger by inadvertently buying these counterfeit goods and would urge them to take on board this Government advice.'
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Cold hard facts behind henges that mark summer solstice
At exactly 3.42am on Saturday the summer solstice occurs at the moment when the northern hemisphere reaches its greatest tilt towards the sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the year. Stonehenge is the best-known prehistoric monument for marking the summer solstice. Viewed from the centre of the stone circle, sunrise on the horizon at the solstice is marked by the outlying Heel Stone, and as the sun passes behind the stone several minutes later it casts a long shadow into the heart of the stone circle. But there are many other, less well-known ancient monuments marking the summer solstice. About two miles from Stonehenge is the site of Woodhenge, built at about the same time as Stonehenge in about 2500BC. It was formed of six concentric oval formations of standing timber posts, surrounded by a bank and ditch. This oval arrangement of the timbers was aligned northeast to southwest, the same as Stonehenge, and would have given a clear view of the summer solstice sunrise towards the northeast horizon. Another ancient timber circle was Seahenge, discovered in 1998 on the north Norfolk coast at Holme-next-the-Sea. Shifting sands on the beach revealed the gnarled tops of 55 ancient wooden posts placed close together with a huge upturned tree stump in the centre of the circle. Originally the site would have been built on a saltmarsh, with the tide coming in and out from the sea, but over time layers of peat preserved the lower parts of the timbers from decay. A similarly mysterious timber circle dating to the same period lay some 300ft away. By analysing the tree rings in the wood, the timbers were estimated to have been felled in the spring of 2049BC, and a new theory suggested that the two timber circles were built during a bitterly cold period of climate 4,000 years ago. Severe winters and late springs would have put the prehistoric people at that time under huge stress, and because the timbers at the henges were aligned with sunrise on the summer solstice they may have been designed to extend the summers and bring on milder winters.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Working-class communities, rural areas and coastal towns to receive extra NHS funding
NHS funding will be diverted to working-class communities, the health secretary is set to announce. Wes Streeting is expected to announce the measure as part of the upcoming NHS 10-year plan, set to be focused on closing health inequalities, during a speech in Blackpool today. About £2.2bn will be spent on staff, medicines, new technology and equipment in rural communities, coastal towns and working-class regions, according to the Department of Health. 3:09 The money, which was previously set aside to plug financial holes in the health service, can now be reinvested where it is "most needed", the department said. It added that NHS leaders have spent months cutting "wasteful" spending, such as on "back office" functions and agency staff, while reducing forecast deficits by health trusts. GP funding will be reviewed under the new plan, as surgeries serving working-class areas receive an average of 10% less funding per patient than practices in more affluent areas. Practices in some of England's poorest areas have about 300 more patients per GP than the most affluent areas, data by the Royal College of GPs suggests. 5:52 The Department of Health said poorer communities had been "neglected" for years and often have the fewest GPs, the worst performing services and the longest waits. Mr Streeting is expected to say during the announcement of the plan that "those in greatest need often receive the worst quality healthcare". He will say that this "flies in the face of the values the NHS was founded on" as "the circumstances of your birth shouldn't determine your worth". Mr Streeting is set to add: "A core ambition of our 10-year plan will be to restore the promise of the NHS, to provide first-class healthcare for everyone in our country and end the postcode lottery." The government "will prioritise investment" where towns have the greatest health needs and the fewest GPs, according to Mr Streeting.
