Psychological well-being factors and the likelihood of transitioning from overweight and obesity to normal weight at population level: Evidence from two cohort studies of UK adults

We examined the prospective associations between psychological well-being related factors (depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, self-efficacy) and transitioning from overweight and obesity to normal body weight (vs persistence of overweight and obesity) and change in body mass index (BMI). We used multiple baselines and follow-ups from the National Child and Development Study (NCDS; 8513 observations) and the British Cohort Study (BCS; 11,113 observations). A proportion (8%-9%) of participants with overweight and obesity (BMI ≥25) at baseline transitioned into normal weight (BMI 18.5-