Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
41444398
TITLE
Genetic and environmental effects on weight gain from young adulthood to old age and its association with body mass index in early young adulthood: an individual-based pooled analysis of 16 twin cohorts.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION NlmCategory: BACKGROUND
Genetic and environmental factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is largely unknown. We examined how genetic factors influence BMI changes from young adulthood to old age and how this change relates to BMI in early adulthood.
DATA AND METHODS NlmCategory: METHODS
Genetic and environmental factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is largely unknown. We examined how genetic factors influence BMI changes from young adulthood to old age and how this change relates to BMI in early adulthood. Data from 16 longitudinal twin cohorts, including 111,370 adults (56% women) and 55,657 complete twin pairs (42% monozygotic), were pooled. The data were divided into three stages (young adulthood-early middle age, late middle age, and old age). BMI changes were calculated via linear mixed effects and delta slope methods. Genetic and environmental contributions to these changes and their correlations with BMI in early young adulthood were estimated through structural equation modeling.
RESULTS NlmCategory: RESULTS
Genetic and environmental factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is largely unknown. We examined how genetic factors influence BMI changes from young adulthood to old age and how this change relates to BMI in early adulthood. Data from 16 longitudinal twin cohorts, including 111,370 adults (56% women) and 55,657 complete twin pairs (42% monozygotic), were pooled. The data were divided into three stages (young adulthood-early middle age, late middle age, and old age). BMI changes were calculated via linear mixed effects and delta slope methods. Genetic and environmental contributions to these changes and their correlations with BMI in early young adulthood were estimated through structural equation modeling. The average BMI increase per year was 0.18 kg/m² in men and 0.15 kg/m² in women during young adulthood-early middle age (18-50 years), decreasing to ≤0.07 kg/m² at older ages. Genetic effects contributed to variance of BMI changes during young adulthood-early middle age (men a² = 0.29; women a² = 0.26) and less so in late middle age (51-64 years) (men a² = 0.05; women a² = 0.16) and old age ( > 65 years) (men a² = 0.13; women a² = 0.18). Most variation was explained by non-shared environmental effects (e² = 0.71-0.95 in men and e²= 0.74-0.84 in women). In men, greater BMI during early young adulthood (18-30 years) was associated with lower BMI changes later in life (r = -0.22 to -0.13), and the association was driven by genetic (r  = -0.27) and non-shared environmental (r  = -0.22 to -0.14) factors. In contrast, the association was positive in women (r = 0.05-0.28) and was explained by genetic factors (r =0.27-0.51).
CONCLUSION NlmCategory: CONCLUSIONS
Genetic and environmental factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is largely unknown. We examined how genetic factors influence BMI changes from young adulthood to old age and how this change relates to BMI in early adulthood. Data from 16 longitudinal twin cohorts, including 111,370 adults (56% women) and 55,657 complete twin pairs (42% monozygotic), were pooled. The data were divided into three stages (young adulthood-early middle age, late middle age, and old age). BMI changes were calculated via linear mixed effects and delta slope methods. Genetic and environmental contributions to these changes and their correlations with BMI in early young adulthood were estimated through structural equation modeling. The average BMI increase per year was 0.18 kg/m² in men and 0.15 kg/m² in women during young adulthood-early middle age (18-50 years), decreasing to ≤0.07 kg/m² at older ages. Genetic effects contributed to variance of BMI changes during young adulthood-early middle age (men a² = 0.29; women a² = 0.26) and less so in late middle age (51-64 years) (men a² = 0.05; women a² = 0.16) and old age ( > 65 years) (men a² = 0.13; women a² = 0.18). Most variation was explained by non-shared environmental effects (e² = 0.71-0.95 in men and e²= 0.74-0.84 in women). In men, greater BMI during early young adulthood (18-30 years) was associated with lower BMI changes later in life (r = -0.22 to -0.13), and the association was driven by genetic (r  = -0.27) and non-shared environmental (r  = -0.22 to -0.14) factors. In contrast, the association was positive in women (r = 0.05-0.28) and was explained by genetic factors (r =0.27-0.51). Genotype influences BMI changes across adulthood, with its effect varying by age and sex. Environmental effects are the main drivers of adult BMI changes, highlighting the role of modifiable factors in long-term weight regulation.
© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
DATE PUBLISHED
2025 Dec 25
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
received 2025/05/30
accepted 2025/12/05
revised 2025/11/10
medline 2025/12/25 00:29
pubmed 2025/12/25 00:29
entrez 2025/12/24 23:29
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Obeso A Obeso Alvaro A Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain. alvaro.obeso@helsinki.fi.
Drouard G Drouard Gabin G Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Jelenkovic A Jelenkovic Aline A Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain.
Ordoñana JR Ordoñana Juan R JR Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Sánchez-Romera JF Sánchez-Romera Juan F JF Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Colodro-Conde L Colodro-Conde Lucía L School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Ollikainen M Ollikainen Miina M Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Helsinki, Finland.
Aaltonen S Aaltonen Sari S Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Corley RP Corley Robin P RP Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
Huibregtse BM Huibregtse Brooke M BM University of Colorado, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boulder, CO, USA.
Medda E Medda Emanuela E Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Fagnani C Fagnani Corrado C Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Toccaceli V Toccaceli Virgilia V Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Gatz M Gatz Margaret M Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Butler DA Butler David A DA Health and Medicine Division, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
Bartels M Bartels Meike M Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Ligthart L Ligthart Lannie L Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
de Geus EJ de Geus Eco Jc EJ Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Christensen K Christensen Kaare K Institute of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Biodemography, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Skytthe A Skytthe Axel A Institute of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Biodemography, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Kyvik KO Kyvik Kirsten O KO Research Unit of Clinical Genetics, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Medland SE Medland Sarah E SE QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Gordon SD Gordon Scott D SD QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Rasmussen FE Rasmussen Finn E FE Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Tynelius P Tynelius Per P Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Franz CE Franz Carol E CE Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Kremen WS Kremen William S WS Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Lyons MJ Lyons Michael J MJ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
Spector T Spector Timothy T Department of Twin Research and Genetic epidemiology, King's College, London, UK.
Mangino M Mangino Massimo M Department of Twin Research and Genetic epidemiology, King's College, London, UK.
Lachance G Lachance Genevieve G Department of Twin Research and Genetic epidemiology, King's College, London, UK.
Magnusson PK Magnusson Patrik Ke PK Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Pedersen NL Pedersen Nancy L NL Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Dahl Aslan AK Dahl Aslan Anna K AK School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
Duncan GE Duncan Glen E GE Washington State Twin Registry, Washington State University - Health Sciences Spokane, Spokane, WA, USA.
Buchwald D Buchwald Dedra D Washington State Twin Registry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Pyun H Pyun Hyojin H Department of Epidemiology, Seoul National University School of Public Health, Seoul, Korea.
Lee J Lee Jooyeon J Institute of Health & Environmental, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Lee SJ Lee Soo Ji SJ Institute of Health & Environmental, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Sung J Sung Joohon J Institute of Health & Environmental, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Bruins S Bruins Susanne S Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Pool R Pool René R Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Eriksson A Eriksson Anders A cGEM, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Martin NG Martin Nicholas G NG QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Boomsma DI Boomsma Dorret I DI Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Kaprio J Kaprio Jaakko J Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Silventoinen K Silventoinen Karri K Helsinki Institute for Demography and Population Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME:
ISSUE:
TITLE: International journal of obesity (2005)
ISOABBREVIATION: Int J Obes (Lond)
YEAR: 2025
MONTH: Dec
DAY: 25
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Internet
ISSN: 1476-5497
ISSNTYPE: Electronic
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Int J Obes (Lond)
COUNTRY: England
ISSNLINKING: 0307-0565
NLMUNIQUEID: 101256108
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
REFTYPE REFSOURCE REFPMID NOTE
UpdateOf medRxiv. 2025 May 28:2025.05.28.25328482. doi: 10.1101/2025.05.28.25328482. 40492100
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