Overweight women still stand to gain much in long-term health if they maintain their above-average weight instead of letting more pounds pile on, according to findings from a Harvard study published today.

The study—the first to analyze the effect of obesity on overall health for women who lived through 70—also found that obesity early in adulthood typically led to moderately worse health far later in life,

The research suggests that longevity hinges in part on women maintaining an optimal body mass starting in their 20s and 30s, said Qi Sun ’07, a research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health.

“To really enjoy optimal health status at age 70 or higher, women should keep a healthy body weight since very young adulthood and maintain that,” said Sun, whose research was inspired by a similar study on male Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. He said he wanted to see if the same trend appeared in women given that they live longer than men and they have a higher Body Mass Index.

Utilizing the ongoing Nurses’ Health Study, which periodically surveys over 120,000 registered nurses via questionnaires, Sun and his research team tracked and analyzed data for 17,000 nurses from 1976 to 2000. He searched for trends in multiple aspects of health, from physical and cognitive function to mental health and chronic diseases.

His findings suggest that women should begin making decisions with an eye to their long-term health as soon as they enter adulthood.

“No matter what your weight is now, focus on maintaining your weight at every level,” said Soheyla D. Gharib, chief of medicine at University Heath Services. “When you’re overweight at age 18, it seems like there aren’t going to be more changes [to your weight]—I think people are not aware of that. There’s a market out there about joining weight loss programs and taking pills, and while those may be quick fixes, in general, it’s hard to go back.”

According to Gharib, the impact of the study is the emphasis on trying to maintain body weight as opposed to allowing the weight to increase if someone is already overweight. Part of that maintenance, as Sun recommends, is moderate to rigorous physical activity and keeping total calorie intake low.

Additionally, Gharib said that there are nutritionists on campus whom students may access if they have concerns about their weight. For those who express serious weight concerns, Harvard has group informational meeting slots that provide a foundation in nutrition.

“These are important life-long skills,” said Gharib. “You’re building your foundation during your college years for later life. [When it comes to health,] there’s no makeup test.”