Patterns of weight change associated with disease diagnosis in a national sample

BACKGROUND: The incidence and/or diagnosis of a major disease may activate weight change. Patterns of weight change associated with diagnoses have not been systematically documented. METHODS: We use data on adults ages 30+ in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999–2014. Self-reported current weight and weight one year prior are used to estimate percent weight change in the last year. We use self-reported data on arthritis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver conditions, and respiratory disease diagnoses to compare weight change among individuals never diagnosed with these conditions, individuals diagnosed 0–1 years ago, and individuals diagnosed 2+ years ago. Multinomial logistic regressions adjust for the presence of multiple conditions. RESULTS: 17.7% of the adult population experienced weight loss of 5.0% or more in the year prior to survey. Individuals diagnosed with any of the conditions were less likely to maintain their weight than those without a diagnosis. Arthritis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver conditions were associated with net weight loss, whereas respiratory diseases were associated with higher probabilities of both losing and gaining weight. Among those losing 10% or more, 56.7% had been diagnosed with one of the conditions. Cancer was associated with the highest probability of unintentional weight loss and diabetes with the highest probability of intentional weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Disease-associated weight changes leave a distinct imprint on patterns of weight change in the population. Individuals losing at least 10% of their weight in the last year have likely been diagnosed with one of the six conditions.