Obese women who lost 15% or more increased risk of dying 2.2-fold over the next 6-12 years

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Monday, March 15, 2010 11:01 am Email this article
Obese women, 50 and older, who lost 15% or more of body weight increased their risk of dying 2.2-fold -- an increase of 122% -- over the next 6-12 years compared to women who lost less than 5% according to a study by researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This was after adjusting for after adjusting for age, race, ethnicity and various risk factors. Intentional vs Unintentional Weight Loss

Unable to control for intentional vs unintentional weight loss

“Although we were unable to distinguish between unintentional and intentional weight loss in our analyses, we attempted to control for unintentional weight loss by excluding respondents who died within 3 years of follow-up and by including indicator variables in the models for preexisting health conditions associated with weight loss and weight gain and for health status,” the paper notes.

 

Intentional Weight Loss

Some intentional weight loss may be harmful, but due to improved physical fitness may be beneficial

“Some types of intentional weight loss may be harmful; some types (such as weight loss because of improved physical fitness) may be beneficial.”

 

Unintentional Weight Loss Increases with Age

Unintentional weight loss increases with age and is associated with adverse traits

“This study included only middle-aged and elderly adults; results may have differed if younger adults also had been included because bodyweight tends to decline in old age and because the likelihood that weight loss is unintentional increases with age and unintentional weight loss is associated with adverse traits.”

 

Subjects

Subjects

“In all, 6117 whites, blacks, and Mexican-Americans 50 years and over at baseline who survived at least 3 years of follow-up, from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Linked Mortality Files (1988–1994 with passive mortality follow-up through 2000), were included.”

REFERENCE

Ingram D, Mussolino M. Weight loss from maximum body weight and mortality: The third national health and nutrition examination survey linked mortality file. Int J Obes (Lond). 2010 Mar 9, published early on-line.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Deborah D. Ingram
Office of Analysis and Epidemiology
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Rd., Room 6211
Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA
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