Obesity at the age of 25 increases the risk of weight problems after 10 years, a latest study shows.
For the study, researchers analysed data from 1999-2010 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. They examined the association of BMI at age 25, obesity later in life and biological indicators. They found that people who were obese by age 25 had an increased chance of severe obesity later in life.
The findings revealed that men who were obese at the age of 25 had 23.1 percent estimated likelihood of class III obesity (more than 40 BMI) after age 35, while men of a normal weight at age 25 only had a 1.1 percent chance of severe obesity after age 35.
The problem grows severe in women. The study found that 25-year-old women with class III obesity have 46.9 percent chances of obesity compared with just 4.8 percent for those of normal weight.
"The current findings suggest that the biological risks of longer-term obesity are primarily due to the risk of more severe obesity later in life among those obese early in life, rather than the impact of long-term obesity per se," said study lead author Jennifer B. Dowd, PhD, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health, Hunter College, in the press release.
"This is good news in some respects, as overweight and obese young adults who can prevent additional weight gain can expect their biological risk factors to be no worse than those who reach the same level of BMI later in life."
The study will be published in the June issue of 'American Journal of Preventive Medicine.'
