August 15, 2008
More on Obesity, Depression and Prana Suppression
A nearly 800 strong study suggests that obese teenage girls may be more likely
than their thinner peers to develop depression or anxiety disorders as adults.
Teenagers followed for 20 years, girls who were obese as teens had a roughly
four-times higher risk of clinical depression or anxiety disorders in adulthood.
But there was no such link among boys.
In an allied study, Adult obesity is known to raise the risk of a number of health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For children, though, the most immediate consequences of obesity are often emotional and social, like not being accepted by their peers.
It's not clear from this study why obese teenage girls had a higher risk of mental health problems later in life.
But based on other research, social stigmatization and teasing may play a role in some cases.
It also makes sense that girls would be more vulnerable than boys. Girls and women face more social pressure to be thin, and at any weight, girls tend to have a poorer body image than their male counterparts do. Still, more research is needed to understand the reasons for the link between teen obesity and subsequent depression and anxiety in girls.
The findings are based on 776 boys and girls who were between the ages of 9 and
18 when they entered the study in 1983. Over the next 20 years, they were
assessed three times for major depression and anxiety. In general, the risk of
these disorders was higher among girls who were obese between the ages of 12
and 18, even when other factors, such as family income, parents' education and
parents' history of emotional problems, were taken into account. Teenagers who
are concerned about their weight, or about any depression or anxiety symptoms,
should talk to their parents or another trusted adult.
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