Patterns of weight change associated with disease diagnosis in a national sample

The incidence and/or diagnosis of a major disease may activate weight change. Patterns of weight change associated with diagnoses have not been systematically documented.

We use data on adults ages 30+ in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999-2014. Self-reported current weight and weight one year prior are used to estimate percent weight change in the last year. We use self-reported data on arthritis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver conditions, and respiratory disease diagnoses to compare weight change among individuals never diagnosed with these conditions, individuals diagnosed 0-1 years ago, and individuals diagnosed 2+ years ago. Multinomial logistic regressions adjust for the presence of multiple conditions.

17.7% of the adult population experienced weight loss of 5.0% or more in the year prior to survey. Individuals diagnosed with any of the conditions were less likely to maintain their weight than those without a diagnosis. Arthritis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver conditions were associated with net weight loss, whereas respiratory diseases were associated with higher probabilities of both losing and gaining weight. Among those losing 10% or more, 56.7% had been diagnosed with one of the conditions. Cancer was associated with the highest probability of unintentional weight loss and diabetes with the highest probability of intentional weight loss.

Disease-associated weight changes leave a distinct imprint on patterns of weight change in the population. Individuals losing at least 10% of their weight in the last year have likely been diagnosed with one of the six conditions.