Overweight Teens Prone to Chronic Diseases Later in Life

While the wide-ranging health consequences of obesity and overweight are well documented by many studies, a team from the University of Michigan (Michigan, USA) has examined the long-term consequences of early adult overweight on midlife health, identifying related socioeconomic effects as well.  Philippa J. Clarke and colleagues studied data collected on over 5,200 American enrolled in the Monitoring the Future Study (1986–2008), following the subjects for 22 years.  The team found that those who reported being heavy since their teens had a more than threefold increased risk of a chronic health problem by age 40, as compared with those who had a normal body mass index (BMI) in high school and gradually gained weight.  Not only were those who were persistently overweight more likely to be diagnosed with a chronic medical condition (most notably hypertension, diagnosed in 20% of the study subjects at midlife), they were characterized by negative socioeconomic markers, including being on welfare or unemployment, not enrolling in college-level education, and not having a life partner. The researchers urge that: “These findings highlight the importance of addressing persistent obesity and overweight early in the life course.”