We constructed a GRS for obesity and showed that it predicted BMI and obesity in a population-based sample of middle-aged adults. We further showed that this GRS was longitudinally associated with mortality risk. These associations suggest that future research into obesity etiology and treatment can make use of genetic information. However, our analyses do not support the use of genetic testing for individual-level obesity-risk prediction. Future research with this GRS should characterize the expression of genetic risk across the life course and particularly during childhood, when intervention to prevent the development of obesity may be most effective.
