Biomarkers · Anthropometric
Body Weight
Both low and high values go with higher risk of death. In NHANES 1999–2018 with linked mortality to 2019, each standard deviation above average goes with 3% higher risk of death. Risk rises at both ends: not comparable
Body Weight and risk of death
Published curve higher than the NHANES fitNHANES fit higher
Risk of death from our NHANES fit, relative to its reference value. The dotted vertical line marks the NHANES median.
Risk of death per SD (NHANES)1.03×95% CI 1.00–1.06 · 50,856 adults, 7,389 deaths
Body Weight across cohorts
0.670.750.80.911.1HR per SD (95% CI)
NHANES · United States, 20–8450,856 people · 7,389 deaths1.03 1.00–1.06
HRS · United States, 50+23,446 people · 8,169 deaths1.00 0.97–1.04
CHARLS · China, 50+10,460 people · 1,710 deaths0.75 0.68–0.83
Body Weight by age and sex
Each bar runs from the 5th to the 95th percentile, the darker part from the 25th to the 75th, and the tick is the median. Not a reference range or a target.
The percentiles as a table
| Sex | Age | 5th | 25th | Median | 75th | 95th | n | Cycle / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 20-39 | 52.0 | 66.5 | 79.4 | 97.8 | 129 | 1,524 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| All | 40-59 | 54.3 | 70.8 | 83.9 | 99.7 | 131 | 1,637 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| All | 60+ | 53.9 | 67.0 | 79.2 | 93.7 | 117 | 1,969 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| All | all | 53.1 | 68.2 | 80.8 | 97.1 | 127 | 5,130 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | 20-39 | 59.8 | 73.1 | 85.9 | 104 | 134 | 729 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | 40-59 | 67.1 | 78.3 | 91.2 | 106 | 135 | 773 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | 60+ | 61.3 | 74.9 | 87.7 | 99.3 | 125 | 999 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | all | 61.7 | 75.5 | 88.9 | 103 | 132 | 2,501 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | 20-39 | 49.6 | 59.9 | 72.2 | 91.1 | 124 | 795 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | 40-59 | 49.3 | 63.3 | 75.1 | 91.8 | 125 | 864 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | 60+ | 50.7 | 62.6 | 72.6 | 84.1 | 111 | 970 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | all | 49.7 | 62.3 | 73.2 | 89.0 | 120 | 2,629 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
What studies found when this marker was changed
They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.
Measured changes in Body Weight, study by study
10 effects with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.
| Type | Intervention | Reported effect | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| diet | Intermittent fasting regimens (time-restricted or alternate-day/periodic fasting) versus a control diet in adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes | Body weight lower by 4.56 kg (95% CI 2.83-6.23) with intermittent fasting vs control diet; 1.14 kg (0.60-1.69) lower vs continuous calorie restriction | meta-analysis | Khalafi M, Habibi Maleki A, Symonds ME, et al. The effects of intermittent… |
| diet | Alternate-day fasting compared with continuous daily energy restriction in adults (network meta-analysis of RCTs) | Alternate-day fasting reduced body weight 1.29 kg more than continuous energy restriction (95% CI 0.59-1.99; moderate certainty) | meta-analysis | Semnani-Azad Z, Khan TA, Chiavaroli L, et al. Intermittent fasting strategies… |
| lifestyle | Intensive lifestyle intervention combining an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet, physical-activity promotion and behavioural support for 12 months in overweight/obese adults aged 55-75 with metabolic syndrome | Weight loss 3.2 kg vs 0.7 kg in controls at 12 months (mean difference -2.5 kg, 95% CI -3.1 to -1.9) | RCT | Salas-Salvadó J, Díaz-López A, Ruiz-Canela M, et al. Effect of a Lifestyle… |
| lifestyle | Moderate-to-vigorous exercise programme combined with liraglutide 3.0 mg/day for 1 year after an 8-week low-calorie diet in adults with obesity | Additional weight change vs placebo at 1 year: -9.5 kg (95% CI -13.1 to -5.9) for combination; exercise alone -4.1 kg (-7.8 to -0.4); liraglutide alone -6.8 kg (-10.4 to -3.1) | RCT | Lundgren JR, Janus C, Jensen SBK, et al. Healthy Weight Loss Maintenance with… |
| pharmacologic | Once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide 3.0 mg with lifestyle counselling for 56 weeks in adults with obesity (BMI >=30, or >=27 with comorbidity) without diabetes | Weight loss 8.4 kg vs 2.8 kg with placebo at week 56 (difference -5.6 kg, 95% CI -6.0 to -5.1) | RCT | Pi-Sunyer X, Astrup A, Fujioka K, et al. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0… |
| pharmacologic | Anti-obesity medications vs placebo during the weight-maintenance phase after initial weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity (meta-analysis of 12 RCTs) | Body weight fell a further 8.68 kg (95% CI -13.25 to -4.11) vs placebo during weight maintenance; duration not stated; 12 RCTs, n=4915 | meta-analysis | Chen Z, et al. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2026;28(10):8913-8924. |
| pharmacologic | GLP-1 receptor agonist or incretin-based therapy delivered alongside a lifestyle intervention vs placebo/control in adults with overweight or obesity | Body weight fell 10.08 kg (95% CI -12.76 to -7.39) vs placebo/control; duration not stated; 8 comparisons | meta-analysis | Bruna-Mejias A, et al. Nutrients. 2026;18(11):1781. |
| pharmacologic | Oral non-peptide GLP-1 receptor agonist orforglipron 45 mg vs placebo in adults with or without type 2 diabetes (network meta-analysis of RCTs) | Body weight fell 12.13 kg vs placebo at 36 weeks with orforglipron 45 mg; 6 RCTs, n=4878 overall | meta-analysis | Hageen AW, et al. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2026;9(4):e70275. |
| pharmacologic | Empagliflozin vs placebo for 16 weeks, both with standardised lifestyle psychoeducation, in overweight or obese adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders taking atypical antipsychotics | Body weight fell 1.53 kg (95% CI -2.60 to -0.47) vs placebo at 16 weeks; n=52 randomised | RCT | Wong SY, et al. Schizophr Bull. 2026;52(3):sbag050. |
| supplement | Oral Chlorella species supplementation vs control in adults (systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 24 studies) | Body weight fell 1.28 kg (95% CI -2.00 to -0.56) vs control; duration not stated; 24 studies | meta-analysis | Mardani H, et al. Nutr Diabetes. 2026;16(1):44. |
What else moves this marker
They describe those study groups, not an individual, and an association is not a cause.
Environmental and occupational exposures
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↑ Smoking cessation (men) · men who smoked at age 21 and had quit by age 38, vs men who continued smoking | +5.7 kg | quitters vs continuing smokers, age 21 to 38 · Birth cohort born 1972-73 in Dunedin, New Zealand, followed from age 15 to 38 | prospective cohort · PMID 24463712 |
| ↑ Smoking cessation (women) · women who smoked at age 21 and had quit by age 38, vs women who continued smoking | +5.1 kg | quitters vs continuing smokers, age 21 to 38 · Birth cohort born 1972-73 in Dunedin, New Zealand, followed from age 15 to 38 | prospective cohort · PMID 24463712 |
Sources
- NHANES curve: our Cox model adjusted for age and sex, NHANES 1999–2018 with linked mortality to 2019.
Map Body Weight against another biomarker.
Related markers: Appendicular Lean Mass / Sarcopenia Index · Basal Metabolic Rate · Body Fat Percentage · Body Mass Index (BMI) · Calf Circumference · Fat Mass · Fat-Free Mass · Gait Speed