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Updated: May 23, 2026
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Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
Weight change following US military service
A J Littman1, I G Jacobson, E J Boyko
1Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98101, USA. alyson@u.washington.edu
International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|April 12, 2012
Summary
Military discharge is linked to significant weight gain, particularly around the transition period. Identifying at-risk individuals can help prevent unhealthy weight gain in service members and veterans.
Area of Science:
- Military Health
- Obesity Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Overweight and obesity are less prevalent in active-duty military personnel compared to civilians.
- However, no significant differences in prevalence are observed between veterans and non-veterans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify weight changes in military personnel before, during, and after service discharge.
- To identify factors associated with significant weight gain in individuals discharged from military service.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 38,686 Millennium Cohort Study participants.
- Estimated annual weight changes and clinically important weight gain (≥10%) using questionnaires administered every three years (2001, 2004, 2007).
- Analyses were stratified by sex.
Main Results:
- Weight gain accelerated around military discharge (1.0-1.3 kg/year) compared to during service (0.6-0.7 kg/year).
- Discharged individuals gained over 2 kg more over six years compared to those remaining in service.
- Younger age, lower education, pre-service overweight status, active-duty component, and combat deployment exposure were linked to greater weight gain post-discharge.
Conclusions:
- This study offers the first prospective evidence of increased weight gain rates near military discharge.
- This transition period represents a critical window for interventions to prevent unhealthy weight gain.
- Findings can inform targeted strategies for military personnel and veterans to mitigate obesity risks.
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