Obesity may Lead to Depression

Being overweight in an individual may cause depression that would lower the overall well-being through both physical and social factors.

Being overweight in an individual may cause depression that would lower the overall well-being. A study at the University of Exeter indicates that both social and physical factors may play a role in this effect as published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

Obesity is a global health challenge. Every 1 in 4 adults is obese in the UK, with growing numbers it affecting the children. Although several health dangers of being obese are well documented, the study suggests that overweight can also have a significant impact on mental health.

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‘Being overweight in an individual may cause depression that would lower the overall well-being through both physical and social factors. This suggests that losing weight may benefit the mental health as well as the physical health of these individuals. ’

The study team investigated genetic data from more than 145,000 participants from the UK Biobank for the possible link between higher BMI and depression using genetic analysis (Mendelian Randomisation).

The pathways explored by the team were psychosocial (societal influences and social stigma), and physical pathways (metabolic conditions linked to higher BMI like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease).

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Clinically relevant mental health questionnaires were designed to assess levels of depression, anxiety, and wellbeing.

Two sets of genetic variants were studied – one set of genes that makes people fatter, yet metabolically healthier. This means that they were less likely to develop metabolic conditions.

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The second set of genes makes people fatter and metabolically unhealthy, and more prone to metabolic conditions. It was found that very little difference existed between the two sets of genetic variants.

This derives from the fact that both physical and social factors play a role in higher rates of depression and poorer wellbeing.

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“Obesity and depression are both major global health challenges, and our study provides the most robust evidence to date that higher BMI causes depression. Understanding whether physical or social factors are responsible for this relationship can help inform effective strategies to improve mental health and wellbeing. Our research suggests that being fatter leads to a higher risk of depression, regardless of the role of metabolic health. This suggests that both physical health and social factors, such as social stigma, both play a role in the relationship between obesity and depression”, says lead author Jess O’Loughlin, at the University of Exeter Medical School.

Source-Medindia