Overweight in early adulthood, weight change and mortality in men

Worldwide, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is increasing rapidly. Several studies have shown that adolescent obesity predicts premature death in adulthood. However, weight in early adulthood is closely associated with subsequent weight change in later years, and the separate effects of these two on mortality are unknown. Our objective is to study the effect of weight at early adulthood and weight change on mortality, both overall and cause-specific, with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease. We will use the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a longitudinal study of 51 529 male health professionals, aged 40-75 in 1986. At inclusion, the participants completed a detailed dietary and lifestyle questionnaire, including recalled weight at age 21. They have been followed until 2006 by biennial mailed questionnaires with items about lifestyle topics such as smoking and physical activity. During the first 10 years of follow-up, 1,972 deaths were documented. We will estimate death rates associated with body mass index at age 21 and subsequent weight change over 20 years of follow-up. Our results of this research will have implications on awareness of health risks associated with overweight in young people, and can be used for weight management in early adulthood.