Lifestyle Changes and Weight Gain: A 2-Year Follow-up Study of Japanese Workers

To examine age-dependent trends in weight and lifestyle changes in Japanese workers.

Using annual health examination data, 60,143 eligible Japanese workers aged 20 to 59 years were examined for their 2-year changes in weight and smoking, eating, exercise, drinking, and sleep habits.

Young male workers aged 20 to 24 years showed the greatest weight gain and the highest incidence of unhealthy lifestyle habits. Multivariate analyses indicated that quitting "exercise less than two times/week," "walking less than 60 min/d," and "smoking everyday" contributed to weight gain to a considerable extent except in young female workers aged 20 to 24 years.

Greater weight gain associated with unhealthy lifestyle changes tended to occur in early rather than middle-to-old adulthood. It is important to deliver health promotion programs targeting young male workers.