Adolescent self-control behavior predicts body weight through the life course: a prospective birth cohort study

BACKGROUND: Weight gain has become one of the biggest issues for healthy aging in middle- and high-income countries. Self-control of emotional reward cues is an important behavioral factor for regulation of weight gain through voluntary diet control and physical activity. METHODS: We tested the associations between teacher-rated self-control at ages 13 and 15 years, and measured body mass index (BMI) between ages 15 and 60–64 years, controlling for confounding factors such as affective symptoms and cognition, using 3873 study members in the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development, also known as the British 1946 birth cohort. RESULTS: Multivariable regression analysis after adjustment for all covariates showed that lower self-control was associated with higher BMI in all measure points (P<0.05). Multilevel modeling using a cubic model showed that there was an association between self-control and BMI at 15 years in females (male: BMI=−0.00 kg m(−2) per 1 s.d. on the self-control score (95% confidence interval (CI): −0.12 to 0.11), P =0.94; female: BMI=−0.27 (−0.42 to −0.11), P<0.001). The association became stronger with age in both sexes (BMI=−0.065 (−0.082 to −0.048), P<0.001; BMI=−0.036 (−0.057 to −0.015), P<0.001). By age 60–64 years, the association between self-control and BMI in men had increased to −0.70 (−0.96 to −0.44) and −0.67 (−1.04 to −0.30) in women. CONCLUSIONS: Lower adolescent self-control was associated with higher BMI through the life course, and this becomes stronger with age. Investigations to test whether intervention to self-control improves obesity are recommended.