Intentional Weight Loss and 13-Year Diabetes Incidence in Overweight Adults

Observational studies have established that obesity is associated with a substantially increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.1 Whether intentional weight loss reduces the risk of obese persons’ developing diabetes remains unclear, however. Two randomized controlled trials for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes in adults have included lifestyle intervention arms emphasizing modest weight loss.2,3 Relatively few observational studies have examined the association of weight loss with diabetes risk,4 and no published observational study has differentiated the effects of intentional weight loss from those of unintentional weight loss. This is important because unintentional weight loss may be associated with the clinical onset of diabetes.5 This is the first observational study to use data on weight-loss intention in examining the prospective relationship between weight change and the incidence of diabetes in overweight adults.