PREDICTORS OF WEIGHT CHANGE IN MEN - RESULTS FROM THE HEALTH-PROFESSIONALS FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

OBJECTIVE: Since the prevalence of adult obesity Is increasing in the United States, we examined the effect of changing common habits (exerc ise, TV viewing, smoking and eating habits) on four year change in bod y weight. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study of US male health profess ionals with follow-up from 1988-1992. Participants were 19 478 men age d 40-75 in 1986, who were free of cancer, coronary heart disease, stro ke and diabetes. METHODS: Multiple regression was used to determine th e association between four year change in body weight (from 1988-1992) and common habits, after adjusting for baseline age, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. RESULTS: For middle aged men, vigorous activity was associated with weight reduction and TV/VCR viewing and eating be tween meals with weight gain. Quitting smoking and a history of volunt ary weight loss prior to the study period were consistently related to weight increase. Recently being an a diet was more strongly associate d with weight loss among older men. Over the four year follow-up perio d, middle-aged men who increased their exercise, decreased TV viewing and stopped eating between meals, lost an average weight of -1.4 kg (9 5% confidence interval (CI)-1.6 - -1.1 kg), compared to a weight gain of 1.4 kg among the overall population. The prevalence of obesity amon g middle-aged men was lowest among those who maintained a relatively h igh level of vigorous physical activity, compared to those who were re latively sedentary. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that improvement in the mix of health habits, particularly increasing vigorous activity, as well as decreasing TV use and changing eating habits, results in we ight maintenance or a modest weight loss over four years.