Obesity in your 20s linked to reduced life expectancy: Study

Sydney: If you are obese or overweight in your 20s and 30s, expect to lose up to 10 years in life expectancy, researchers have warned.

The findings showed that men and women who are obese in their 20s will lose up to eight and six years respectively in their lives. 

In addition, if they are severely obese, men and women will lose 10 and eight years respectively.

"We know that excess weight has an impact on your health, but to have excess weight as a young adult is really significant on life expectancy. We are talking about losing up to 10 years of your life," said lead researcher Thomas Lung from The George Institute for Global Health in Australia.

People with obesity are at risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke, all which can decrease lifespan. 

"The study predicts adult obesity prevalence will increase to 35 per cent by 2025. We need to act now and have an obesity prevention strategy targeting adults at all ages and in particular young adults," Lung noted.

For the study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, the team used a model which calculated the expected amount of weight that adults put on every year depending on their age, sex and current weight. 

It also predicted remaining life expectancy for people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s in healthy, overweight, obese and severely obese weight categories and calculated the number of years lost over the lifetime for people with excess weight in each age group, compared to those with a healthy weight.

Importantly, the risks of early death associated with excess weight were apparent at every age group but decreased with age. 

Obese women in their 40s will experience a reduction of 4.1 years, whilst obese men stand to lose 5.1 years. 

Also, for individuals in their 60s, this reduction in life expectancy is estimated at 2.3 years for women and 2.7 years for men.