For most people, the idea of losing a few pounds in medium age feels like a hopeful resolution, perhaps a new year objective that strives in February. But what happens if that modest effort could shape all its future? New research suggests that it could, in a deep way.
In a study that covers decades and thousands of participants, Finland scientists and the United Kingdom have found that even modest non -pharmaceutical weight loss non -pharmaceutical during medium age can advance over time, reducing the risk of chronic diseases and extending life itself.
“Although Correction Midlife Overweight Without Surgical Or Pharmacological Treatment is Challenging, Our Results Suggest that it is Feasible and May Be Associated With Deciese Long-Term Risk of Cardiovascular Desecases, Other Chronic Conditions, and Mortality Outcomes Associated Associated With Overweight, ”Dr. Timo Strandberg, The Study’s Senior Author and Professor of Geriatric Medicine At The University of Helsinki, Told Newspaper.
Modest change, great impact
The study analyzed almost 23,000 adults in three major European studies of cohort. These participants, from 30 to 50 when the study began, were tracked for up to 35 years. At a time before modern medicines for weight loss or bariatric surgeries were widely available, weight loss observed in the study, around 6.5% on average, was probably achieved through changes in lifestyle: better diets and more physical activity.
A weight drop of 6.5% may not sound dramatic. For someone who weighs 80 kilograms (~ 180 pounds), they are only 5 kilograms (less than 12 pounds). However, people who lost this amount of weight at age 40 and kept out experienced significantly lower rates of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer, asthma and chronic pulmonary diseases such as COPD in the following decades.
In one of the cohorts, the participants who fell from an BMI (body mass index) of 25 or more below 25 had a 48% lower risk of developing chronic disease than those who remained overweight. Another cohort showed a 57% lower risk. In another one, those who lost weight were 19% less likely to die of any cause in the next 35 years compared to those who remained overweight.
“The study is important because it provides evidence of the relationship between weight loss and cardiovascular disease and mortality, which has not been studied enough,” Dr. Aayush Visario, clinical researcher at Rutgers School of Medicine Robert Wood Johnson, said, said CNN.
Lifestyle, not just numbers
It was not miraculous shock diets or drugs. They were common people who made lasting changes such as eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising more regularly and losing pounds.
And although the BMI was the main metric used to track the weight in the study, experts warn not to read too much in it.
“There are so many variables that could play on how the composition of someone’s body changes, although perhaps their weight might not change so much,” Visio said.
This is because the BMI does not distinguish between muscle and fat, nor does it show where fat is stored. Fat wrapped around the organs, called visceral fat, is much more harmful than fat under the skin. Other studies have shown that this type of deep abdominal fat plays a more important role in disease than weight alone.
However, even with that limitation, the results of the new study were consistent. The participants who achieved and maintained a healthy weight enjoyed measurable health advantages over time, regardless of sex or the level of physical conditioning. It is important to highlight that they also tended to remain more physically active as they aged, while inactivity increased in all other groups.
Little loss, great commitment
Keeping even modest weight loss requires effort, especially in a society that often makes healthy decisions more difficult. That is why both authors and external experts agree that public policies must support individual efforts.
“Healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity should be more accessible in modern societies to help stop the health impacts associated with obesity,” Strandberg said.
In other words, while personal motivation is important, the environment also does, whether it has access to fresh products or safe places to walk or walk by bicycle.
“I hope that findings inspire people to see that changes in lifestyle can lead to great improvements in health and a longer life,” Strandberg said in a press release. “This is particularly important today, since more people are overweight than when the collection of our research data began 35 years ago.”
As science around weight, health and longevity continue to evolve, a message becomes clearer: the small steps taken in the middle age can echo old age, and even modest victories are worth it.
The findings were published in Open Jama Network.
#Losing #pounds #add #years #life
