INTRODUCTION: Obesity is associated with reduced quality of life and reduced life satisfaction, but does weight loss make you happier? The objective of this study was to investigate if BMI is associated with self-reported global life satisfaction and if weight loss among individuals with overweight is associated with a higher life satisfaction than among weight stable individuals with overweight.

METHODS: The participants in the present population based cohort study from Denmark were 15 213 adults (18 years or older) in the Lolland Falster Health study who reported their global life satisfaction with the Cantril Ladder Score (CLS) (scores range from 0, very poor, through 10, very good). The association of BMI and history of weight loss with CLS was assessed by multivariable analyses adjusted for sex, age, educational level, cohabitation, self-reported health and smoking status.

RESULTS: High BMI was associated with low CLS (P<0.0001). BMI 30-35 was associated with a 0.47 point (95 % CI 0.39; 0.55) lower score and BMI ≥ 45 with a 1.85 point (CI 1.45; 2.25) lower score, than BMI 18.5-25. History of weight loss was associated with low CLS among individuals with BMI ≥ 25 (-0.15 lower CLS, P <0.005), whereas in the subgroup of individuals with BMI ≥ 25 and good self-reported health, there were no significant difference in CLS between the weight stable and the weight loss groups (-0.08, P 0.06).

CONCLUSION: This study found that high BMI was associated with low CLS. In subjects with BMI≥25, weight loss was associated with lower CLS compared with stable weight during five years. In subjects with BMI≥25 and good self-reported health, there was no relation between weight loss and CLS. Thus, contrary to our hypothesis, the study suggests that weight loss among overweight individuals did not result in higher life satisfaction.