Study presented at the European Congress on Obesity is one of the largest ever looking at the impact of putting on weight and at what stage in our lives
Gaining weight before the age of 30 could almost double the risk of early death, landmark research has found.
The 23-year study of 620,000 adults found that those who put on pounds in their twenties had far greater higher mortality rates than those who merely succumbed to middle aged spread. Men who became obese before the age of 30 saw their risk of early death rise by 79%, while woman saw an 84% increase, compared with those who did not.
Among the under 30s, every pound gained per year increased risk by 24% in men and 22% in women.
The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, in Malaga, Spain, is one of the largest and most comprehensive looking at the impact of putting on weight and at what stage in our lives.
Researcher Prof Tanja Stocks, of the Lund University, Malmö, Sweden, said: “Even modest weight gains in your 20s can significantly increase the risk of early death if they persist over several years. The earlier people embrace healthy living, the better the chance of a long life.”
The proportion of 25-34 year olds classified as obese has more than doubled since 1993.
Lead researcher Huyen Le, of Lund University, said weight gain tends to occur in early adulthood, particularly in the early 20s, as people leave home, often becoming more reliant on junk food and convenience foods. She said: “The key message from this study is clear: avoiding weight gain, especially in your late teens and 20s, can have a major impact on your long-term health. Gaining weight early in adulthood, or developing obesity at a young age, is linked to a higher risk of dying from many chronic diseases later in life.”
The huge Swedish study of adults aged 17 to 60 found that putting on weight early in adulthood increased the risk of dying from a wide range of diseases including heart disease, several types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Participants on average put on around one pound a year but the damage was far greater when weight gains came early.
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “This study is yet another wake-up call. Gaining excess weight early in life doesn’t just increase the risk of obesity, it can shorten lives by driving up rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and poor mental health.
“Many young people are on course to reach obesity by 30, driven by a food environment dominated by fast food deals, oversized portions, and highly processed products. This is the consequence of decades of failure by the commercial food system and the lack of action by Government to fix it.”
Scientists said the “cumulative” effect of carrying weight for a long time was what mattered across all risk factors. Heart disease, type two diabetes, liver, kidney and womb cancers were among the conditions with the strongest link between early weight gain and premature death.
Those who gained weight later in life also saw an increased risk, but were much less at risk than those who had piled on the pounds in early life. Becoming obese between the age of 45 and 60 increased overall risk by around one quarter but reaching this threshold between the age of 30 and 45 increased the risk by 52%.
Prof Stocks called for far more effort to be made to prevent weight gain in young adults, with improved access to healthier foods, and encouragement of exercise. She said: “Supporting healthy habits during this critical life stage can have lasting benefits.”
Latest UK data released last week showed 64.5% of adults were overweight or obese last year – 0.5% up on 2023, and equivalent to around another 220,000 people. The overall total has gradually increased since the 61% in 2015 when data were first collated.
The Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities announced that last year’s rate for men was 69.7%, while for women the figure was 59.2%.
Katherin Jenner added: “Preventing obesity in the first place is essential if the Government is serious about delivering five extra healthy years of life and narrowing the life expectancy gap. That means more than treatment – we need bold action to make healthy food the easy, affordable, and appealing choice.”