Impact of overweight on the risk of developing common chronic diseases during a 10-year period

Background: Overweight adults are at an increased risk of developing numero us chronic diseases. Methods: Ten-year follow-up (1986-1996) of middle-aged women in the Nurses' Health Study and men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study to assess the health risks associated with overweight. Results: The risk of developing diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, heart d isease, and stroke increased with severity of overweight among both women a nd men. Compared with their same-sex peers with a body mass index (BMI) (ca lculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) between 18.5 and 24.9, those with BMI of 35.0 or more were approximately 20 times more likely to develop diabetes (relative risk [RR], 17.0; 95% confi dence interval [CI], 14.2-20.5 for women; RR, 23.4; 95% CI, 19.4-33.2 for m en). Women who were overweight but not obese (ie, BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 ) were also significantly more likely than their leaner peers to develop ga llstones (RR, 1.9), hypertension (RR, 1.7), high cholesterol level (RR, 1.1 ), and heart disease (RR, 1.4). The results were similar in men. Conclusions: During 10 years of follow-up, the incidence of diabetes, galls tones, hypertension, heart disease, colon cancer, and stroke (men only) inc reased with degree of overweight in both men and women. Adults who were ove rweight but not obese (ie, 25.0 less than or equal to BMI less than or equa l to 29.9) were at significantly increased risk of developing numerous heal th conditions. Moreover, the dose-response relationship between BMI and the risk of developing chronic diseases was evident even among adults in the u pper half of the healthy weight range (ie, BMI of 22.0-24.9), suggesting th at adults should try to maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 21.9 to minimize th eir risk of disease.