An individual who was obese, smoked or had a psychological disorder in adolescence, might age faster as an adult, suggests new research.

The study included data from 910 individuals who were part of the Dunedin Study, which tracked the health and behavior of participants born from April 1972 through March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The participants were followed from age 3 till the age of 45.

Researchers noted that adolescents aged 11 to 15 years who were obese, smoked daily, or had a psychological disorder, like anxiety, depression or ADHD, biologically aged about three months faster each year compared to their peers. By 45 years of age, participants who had two or more of these three health conditions as adolescents, walked slower by 11.2 cm/sec, had an older brain age by two and a half years, and older facial age by about four years, compared to those who didnt have these conditions. The study is published in JAMA Pediatrics… (CNN, February 28, 2022)