Obesity Associated With Poor Mental Health, Especially In Women: Study

Scientists found the relationship between obesity and depression was ‘significantly higher’ in women, than in men. They added that these results were ‘consistent’ with previous research.

Obesity can cause a string of health problems for both men and women. Not only does it affect the body physically, there are many psychological ramifications, too.

Being obese or overweight can affect the mental health of a person, especially a woman, a new study has found. It is no secret that body weight is associated with a certain socially-accepted beauty norm. Too much, or too little weight can have an impact on the personality of an individual.

Obesity refers to an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in the body that makes one overweight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered ‘overweight’, and over 30 is ‘obese’.

What The Study Found

According to a study published earlier this week in the journal PLOS ONE, obesity is associated with poorer mental health, including depression and a poor sense of well-being. According to reports, researchers at the School of Public Health at University College Cork, Ireland said lifestyle factors do not appear to have an impact on these mental health issues.

Instead, they examined the medical records of 1,821 men and women between the ages of 46 and 73 years, selected randomly from a primary care center. They purportedly assessed the link between mental health scores and obesity using BMI and waist/height ratios, while adjusting for lifestyle factors and disease conditions.