Obesity and loneliness. Findings from a longitudinal population-based study in the second half of life in Germany

Little is known about whether changes to obesity are associated with changes in loneliness scores. Therefore, using a longitudinal approach, we aimed to determine whether the onset of obesity (explanatory variable) is associated with changes in loneliness (outcome measure) among older adults.

For the present study, data from wave 2 (2002) to wave 5 (2014) of the German Ageing Survey were analyzed. This is a representative sample of community-dwelling individuals in Germany (≥40 years). A validated six-item scale by Gierveld and van Tilburg was used to quantify loneliness. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m² . Fixed effects regressions were used.

Fixed effects regressions showed that loneliness increased with the onset of obesity among men but not among women. The sex × obesity interaction term was significant (P = 0.02).

Findings stress the importance of the onset of obesity for loneliness among older men. Weight management strategies might also be a promising strategy to reduce loneliness scores.