Depression 'can double chances of becoming obese'
Telegraph.co.uk
By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
October 7, 2009
People who are depressed or anxious are up to twice as likely to become obese as those in good mental health, a new study shows.
Those who suffer from the conditions over long periods of time are particularly at risk, researchers warn.
One in four Britons are now classed as obese and doctors warn that being heavily overweight can increase the chances of developing a range of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
The team behind the latest research said that people suffering from depression or anxiety were more likely to develop eating disorders and to take less exercise than others.
The findings, published online by the British Medical Journal, show that people who developed anxiety or depression at one stage in their life were one third, 33 per cent, more likely to become obese than those in good mental health.
If they suffered from the problems when assessed at three separate points during the 19 year study they were twice as likely to become obese, the study found.
However, the study found no evidence that the relationship worked in the other direction - that being obese triggered anxiety or depression.
The findings are based on tests on 4,363 British civil servants, all aged between 35 and 55 years old, between 1985 and 2004.
At each stage the mental health of the volunteers was assessed using a questionnaire and their Body Mass Index (BMI) recorded.
Even when other factors, such as drugs taken by those with mental health problems, were excluded, the link between depression or anxiety and obesity remained.
"In this population of British middle-aged adults common mental disorder is predictive of subsequent weight gain and obesity”, the researchers, led by Mika Kivim?ki from University College London, write.
They called for more research to verify the findings in the wider population.
However, writing in the same journal, a team from the University of Sydney point out that other studies have shown that people who are obese are more likely to become depressed, in part because of the social stigma attached to being overweight.
Obesity is measured using BMI, which is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared.
A BMI of between 20 and 25 is considered normal, while above 25 is overweight and above 30 obese.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
October 7, 2009
People who are depressed or anxious are up to twice as likely to become obese as those in good mental health, a new study shows.
Those who suffer from the conditions over long periods of time are particularly at risk, researchers warn.
One in four Britons are now classed as obese and doctors warn that being heavily overweight can increase the chances of developing a range of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
The team behind the latest research said that people suffering from depression or anxiety were more likely to develop eating disorders and to take less exercise than others.
The findings, published online by the British Medical Journal, show that people who developed anxiety or depression at one stage in their life were one third, 33 per cent, more likely to become obese than those in good mental health.
If they suffered from the problems when assessed at three separate points during the 19 year study they were twice as likely to become obese, the study found.
However, the study found no evidence that the relationship worked in the other direction - that being obese triggered anxiety or depression.
The findings are based on tests on 4,363 British civil servants, all aged between 35 and 55 years old, between 1985 and 2004.
At each stage the mental health of the volunteers was assessed using a questionnaire and their Body Mass Index (BMI) recorded.
Even when other factors, such as drugs taken by those with mental health problems, were excluded, the link between depression or anxiety and obesity remained.
"In this population of British middle-aged adults common mental disorder is predictive of subsequent weight gain and obesity”, the researchers, led by Mika Kivim?ki from University College London, write.
They called for more research to verify the findings in the wider population.
However, writing in the same journal, a team from the University of Sydney point out that other studies have shown that people who are obese are more likely to become depressed, in part because of the social stigma attached to being overweight.
Obesity is measured using BMI, which is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared.
A BMI of between 20 and 25 is considered normal, while above 25 is overweight and above 30 obese.
