Obesity Linked to Poor Well-Being and Mental Health Issues, Study Reveals; Association Found to Be Stronger for Women

According to a new study, obesity is significantly linked to mental health issues, with the association being stronger for women compared to men.

(Photo: Pexels / Andres Ayrton)

Obesity and Mental Health Issues

The study "Associations between adiposity measures and depression and well-being scores: A cross-sectional analysis of middle- to older-aged adults" notes that obesity is linked to poorer mental health, including poor well-being and depression. The researchers also note that lifestyle factors don't affect such mental health issues.

As part of the study, the researcher examined the medical records of 1,821 women and men aged 46 to 7e, who were randomly chosen from large primary care facilities.

The researchers examined the relationship between obesity through the BMI (body mass index), waist-height ratios, and mental health scores. They adjusted for medical conditions and lifestyle factors.

Prior to the study, the participants fasted overnight and provided blood samples for glycated hemoglobin and fasting glucose. The scientists gauged their weight, height, waist circumference, and BMI. The participants also filled out a lifestyle and general health questionnaire. The researchers used this data to assess lifestyle behaviors, demographics, and other disease presence.

ALSO READ: Over 1 Billion People All Over the World Live With Obesity, Analysis Reveals; What Causes the Condition?

Significant Association

The scientists reported in their findings that waist/height ratios and BMI showed that obesity was linked to lower well-being and an increase in depression. The researchers add that the link between depression and obesity was notably higher for women compared to men.

According to the researchers, obesity is also interrelated with other physical and social factors. For instance, it can also result in physical symptoms such as fibromyalgia, back pain, and joint pain. The added weight could also lead to social stigma, prejudice, and discrimination.

Experts note that such physical and social implications could foster depressive symptoms. Psychologist Eva Panigrahi, PhD, from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, notes that obesity and depression have a biological link. Obesity could contribute to an environment that fosters chronic neurological and physiological outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression severity, adverse childhood experiences, physical activity, eating, and gene-environment interactions.

The link between depression and obesity could be seen as a mutually strengthening and vicious cycle that covers negative psychopathology and physiological factors.

According to the researchers, targeted therapies to reduce depression should also cover better weight management at the level of the population.

Dr. Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon and the medical director of Orange Coast Medical Center's MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center, notes that the medical community has long linked obesity and depression. The recent study further defines the link, though it isn't shocking.

However, the study's major limitation is that all participants were from just one primary care center. Most of them were also European-Caucasian. Hence, the results may not generally represent the whole population.

Panigrahi also notes that the authors used a cross-sectional design for the study, which limits the capacity to derive any possible causal links.