Epidemiologic analysis of weight gain in U.S. adults

Although the prevalence of overweight as estimated from nationally representative cross-sectional studies is well documented, much less is known about the incidence of overweight and major weight gain in United States adults. I review results from the First National Health Examination Follow-Up Study involving 9862 people aged 25-74 yr who were first weighed between 1971 and 1975 and reweighed 10 yr later between 1982 and 1984.