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Weight cycling and mortality in a large prospective US study.
Victoria L Stevens1, Eric J Jacobs, Juzhong Sun
1Epidemiology Research Program, American Cancer Society, 250 Williams Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA. Victoria.Stevens@cancer.org
American Journal of Epidemiology
|January 31, 2012
Summary
Weight cycling, defined as intentional weight loss and regain, was examined in a large cohort study. Results indicate that weight cycling does not increase mortality risk when adjusted for body mass index and other factors.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Weight cycling, or repeated intentional weight loss and regain, has been controversially linked to increased mortality risk in previous research.
- Few studies have distinguished between weight cycling initiated by intentional weight loss versus illness-induced weight changes.
- Understanding the specific impact of intentional weight cycling on long-term health outcomes is crucial for public health guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between intentional weight cycling and all-cause mortality.
- To differentiate the mortality risks associated with varying numbers of weight cycling episodes.
- To analyze these associations within a large, prospective cohort study.
Main Methods:
- The study utilized data from the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, including 55,983 men and 66,655 women.
- Weight cycling was self-reported via questionnaire in 1992, defined as intentional weight loss of ≥4.5 kg followed by regain.
- Mortality data were collected from 1992 to 2008, with analyses using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Initial analyses adjusted only for age showed a positive association between weight cycling and mortality.
- After adjusting for body mass index and other risk factors, low numbers of weight cycles (1-4) were associated with slightly lower mortality in both men and women.
- High numbers of weight cycles (≥20) were not significantly associated with increased mortality in either sex.
Conclusions:
- The findings do not support the hypothesis that intentional weight cycling increases overall mortality risk.
- The study suggests that weight cycling, particularly when intentional, may not pose the health risks previously suggested.
- Further research could explore the nuances of weight cycling patterns and their specific health implications.
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