Gaining weight before the age of 30 could almost double your risk of dying young, new research reveals.
Scientists found piling on the pounds in your 20s could have greater consequences than later in life, because it can cause “cumulative damage” to vital organs.
The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain, looked at the death rates among 620,000 adults in Sweden between the ages of 17 and 60 who had their weights monitored throughout their lives.
Researchers found men who became obese before the age of 30 saw their risk of an early death rise by 79 per cent, while women saw an increase of 84 per cent, in comparison to those who put weight on later in life.
Those who became obese between the age of 30 and 45 increased the risk of early death by 52 per cent, while obesity between the age of 45 and 60 increased overall risk by around 25 per cent.
Every pound gained in early adulthood in the “critical life stage” between 17 and 29, the risk of early death increased by more than 20 per cent, the study revealed.
The study found weight gain in your 20s increased the risk of death from a wide range of diseases including heart disease, several types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Katharine Jenner, the director of the Obesity Health Alliance, stressed the study is a “wake-up call”.
She added: “It can shorten lives by driving up rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and poor mental health.
“Many young people are on course to reach obesity by 30, driven by a food environment dominated by fast-food deals, oversized portions and highly processed products. This is the consequence of decades of failure by the commercial food system and the lack of action by government to fix it.”
Around one in four adults in the UK are obese, according to the NHS. Obesity increases the risk of several types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Huyen Le, a doctoral student at Lund and the study’s lead researcher, said: “The key message from this study is clear: avoiding weight gain — especially in your late teens and twenties — can have a major impact on your long-term health.
“Gaining weight early in adulthood, or developing obesity at a young age, is linked to a higher risk of dying from many chronic diseases later in life.”
Tanja Stocks, associate professor of epidemiology at Lund University in Sweden and the study’s lead author, added: “Even modest weight gains in your twenties can significantly increase the risk of early death if they persist over several years. The earlier people embrace healthy living, the better the chance of a long life.”
“Our study supports the idea that avoiding weight gain during adulthood — particularly in the twenties — is important for long-term health. Therefore, we do believe more efforts are needed to prevent weight gain in young adults. Supporting healthy habits during this critical life stage can have lasting benefits.”
