Early-Onset Obesity: Cardiometabolic Risks & Long-Term Study
Childhood Obesity Linked to Accelerated Aging and Metabolic Dysfunction in Young Adults
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Unpacking the Long-term Impact of Excess Weight
Obesity, notably when it begins in childhood, can significantly accelerate biological aging and lead to detrimental cardiometabolic health outcomes in young adulthood. A recent prospective cohort study conducted in Chile has shed light on the profound and lasting effects of prolonged obesity, highlighting a clear link between the duration of excess weight and the severity of metabolic dysfunction.
Design and Results of Prospective Cohort
Researchers embarked on a prospective, multiple-events, case-control, cohort study involving males and females born in Chile during the 1990s. The primary objective was to investigate how obesity accelerates aging. The study, which ran from April 2022 to June 2023, included 205 adults aged 28 to 31 years, with a mean age of 28.6 years. participants were categorized into three groups based on their Body Mass Index (BMI) trajectories since birth: group 1 comprised individuals with a healthy BMI throughout their lives, Group 2 consisted of those with persistent obesity since adolescence, and Group 3 included individuals with persistent obesity since childhood.To accurately estimate the duration of obesity, researchers employed cubic polynomials, creating smoothed BMI trajectories across each participant’s life course.This methodology allowed for the estimation of obesity onset timing and the overall duration of obesity for each individual. The findings revealed a important difference in obesity duration: the mean duration was approximately 12.9 years for those with adolescent-onset obesity (Group 2) and a substantially longer 26.6 years for those with childhood-onset obesity (Group 3). This earlier onset in childhood obesity directly correlated with a longer overall period of living with excess weight. Notably, the study found no significant link between sex and BMI trajectory or age.
The results clearly demonstrated that individuals who maintained a healthy BMI throughout their lives exhibited superior cardiometabolic markers compared to their peers who experienced obesity. These markers included a lower waist circumference, lower systolic blood pressure, reduced insulin levels, and a lower severity of metabolic syndrome. While fasting glucose levels remained within normal ranges across all groups, individuals with obesity consistently displayed elevated insulin levels and signs of insulin resistance. Furthermore, a concerning finding was the high risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) reported in both groups that experienced obesity, irrespective of when the obesity began.
These findings strongly suggest that long-term obesity has a more profound negative impact on cardiometabolic health, potentially paving the way for the early onset of cardiometabolic diseases. The study underscores the critical importance of addressing obesity early in life to mitigate long-term health consequences and promote sustained well-being.
references
- Correa-Burrows P, Burrows R, Albala C, et al. Long-Term obesity and Biological Aging in Young Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2025; 8 (7): E2520011. DOI: 10.1001/JamanetWorkOPen.2025.20011
- Long-term obesity and biological aging in young adults. EurekAlert!. News release. July 11, 2025. Accessed July 18,2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1090699
- Mayo Clinic. Obesity. News release. July 22, 2023. Accessed July 18, 2025. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/symptoms-causes/syc-20375742