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Objective: Adult overweight is associated with increased risk of diverticular disease (DD). We investigated associations between birthweight and childhood body mass index (BMI) and DD. Methods: Cohort study of 346,586 persons born during 1930–1996 with records in the Copenhagen School Health Records Register. Data included birthweight, and height and weight from ages 7 through 13. We used Cox proportional hazard regression to examine associations between birthweight and BMI z-scores and DD registered in the Danish National Patient Registry. Due to non-proportionality, we followed participants from age 18–49 and from age 50. Results: During follow-up, 5459 (3.2%) women and 4429 (2.5%) men had DD. For low and high BMI in childhood, we observed a higher risk of DD before age 50. Among women with z-scores <0 at age 13, the hazard ratio (HR) was 1.16 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98–1.39] per one-point lower z-score. For z-scores ≥0 at age 13, the HR was 1.30 (95% CI: 1.11–1.51) per one-point higher z-score. Among men with z-scores <0 at age 13, the HR was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.85–1.22). For z-scores ≥0 at age 13, the HR was 1.54 (95% CI: 1.34–1.78). Z-scores ≥0 were not associated with DD after age 50. Among women only, birthweight was inversely associated with DD before age 50 [HR = 0.90 (95% CI: 0.83–0.99) per 500 g higher birthweight]. Conclusion: BMI z-scores below and above zero in childhood were associated with higher risk of DD before age 50. In addition, we observed lower risk of DD among women, the higher their birthweight.

Purpose: We investigated the association between an increased intake of one dairy product subgroup at the expense of another within a 5-year period and the subsequent 10-year risk of type 2 diabetes. Methods: The cohort included 39,393 adults with two measurements of diet assessed using food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) administered in 1993–1997 and 1999–2003. Dairy products were milk (skimmed, semi-skimmed, whole fat), buttermilk, low-fat yogurt, whole-fat yogurt, cheese and butter. Type 2 diabetes cases were ascertained from the Danish National Diabetes Register. The pseudo-observation method was used to calculate risk differences (RD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The data were analysed in age strata to fulfil the assumption of independent entry. Results: Among participants aged 56–59 years at completion of the follow-up FFQ, increased intake of whole-fat yogurt in place of skimmed, semi-skimmed or whole-fat milk was associated with a reduced risk (RD% [95% CI]: − 0.8% [− 1.3, − 0.2]; − 0.6% [− 1,1, − 0.1]; − 0.7 [− 1.2, − 0.1]; per 50 g/d, respectively). Among participants aged 60–64 and 65–72, substitution of skimmed milk for semi-skimmed milk was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (0.5% [0.2, 0.7]; 0.4% [0.1, 0.7]; per 50 g/d, respectively). Similar patterns of associations were found after adjustment for potential mediators. Conclusion: Our results suggest that substitution of whole-fat yogurt for milk among those aged 56–59 decreases risk of type 2 diabetes and substitution of skimmed milk for semi-skimmed milk may increase the risk among those aged 60–64 and 65–72.