Research
Mixed
Intentional weight loss in unhealthy individuals (those with obesity-related risk factors or diabetes) reduces all-cause mortality risk.
If you are obese and have health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, losing weight intentionally is likely to improve your longevity. Focus on sustainable lifestyle changes that address these specific health risks.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Intentional weight loss had a small benefit for individuals classified as unhealthy (with obesity-related risk factors) (RR 0.87 (95 % CI 0.77, 0.99); P = 0.028), especially unhealthy obese (RR 0.84 (95 % CI 0.73, 0.97); P = 0.018).
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, same limitations as N1.
Source
A review and meta-analysis of the effect of weight loss on all-cause mortality risk
M. G. Harrington et al. · Nutrition Research Reviews · 2009
DOI 10.1017/s0954422409990035
Meta-analysis · 26 studiesCited 253×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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