Overview

• The JAMA Network Open study followed more than 23,000 adults across three European cohorts for up to 35 years, classifying participants by weight changes during their 40s.
• Participants who shed roughly 6.5 percent of body weight without surgery or weight-loss drugs saw a 48 percent reduction in chronic disease risk and a 19 percent drop in all-cause mortality.
• Lower rates of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, asthma and lung disease drove much of the long-term health advantage among those who lost weight.
• Sustaining weight loss proved challenging, with only a small fraction of participants maintaining their lower weight over the multi-decade follow-up.
• Researchers note the observational design and predominantly white European sample limit causal conclusions and may restrict how broadly the findings apply to other populations.