Table 1 Baseline participant characteristics

Age (mean)

49.3

50.5

49.5

Overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m²)

45

59

48

Highly physically active (>30 MET-h/week a)

36

43

38

Moderately physically active (7–30 MET-h/week)

54

45

51

Inactive (≤ 7 MET-h/week)

10

12

11

Weight/activity groups

 high activity(>30 MET-h/week) normal-weight(≤25 kg/m²)

24

20

23

 moderate activity(7–30 MET-h/week) normal-weight

26

18

25

 inactive (≤7 MET-h/week) normal-weight

4

3

4

 high activity overweight(>25 kg/m²)

12

23

15

 moderate activity overweight

26

27

27

 inactive overweight

6

9

7

Socioeconomic status

 Manual worker

14

25

16

 Routine non-manual

40

10

33

 Semi-professional

20

20

20

 Managers/professional

27

45

30

Marital status (in a partnership)

68

79

70

Employment status (working) b

76

72

75

Work physical strenuousness

 very/fairly light

61

85

65

 fairly/very heavy

39

15

35

Work mental strenuousness

 very/fairly light

24

27

25

 fairly/very heavy

76

74

75

Smoking

21

25

22

Alcohol binge (drinking)

7

24

10

Total n = 6720

81 (5455)

19 (1265)

100 (6720)