Study: Depressed Children Twice as Likely to Become Obese

Children suffering from depression are twice as likely as their peers to become obese, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Adolescent obesity is often the forerunner of adult obesity, and adult obesity has been linked with depression, especially in women. Research has suggested an association between depression in teens and higher body mass index in adulthood. Researchers developed a study to determine whether depression predicts the development and persistence of obesity in adolescents.

The study included 9,374 adolescents in grades 7 through 12 who completed in-home interviews. Assessments were made at the beginning of the study and again one year later. Depression was measured using a depression scale and body mass index was calculated from self-reported height and weight.

At the start of the study, 12.9 percent of the teens were overweight, 9.7 percent were obese and 8.8 percent were depressed. Depression at the start of the study was not significantly linked with obesity at the start of the study. Among the 9.7 percent who were obese after one-year, 79.6 percent were obese at the start of the study, 18.6 were overweight, and 1.8 percent were normal weight at the start of the study.

Being depressed at the start of the study independently predicted obesity at the one-year follow up after controlling for BMI score at the study's start, age, race, gender, parental obesity, number of parents in the home, and family socioeconomic status. The finding still stood after controlling further for smoking, self-esteem, delinquent behavior, and physical activity.

After controlling for all these same factors, depression at the start of the study also predicted obesity after one year among those not obese at the start of the study. On the other hand, obesity at the start of the study did not predict depression after one year, according to the report in the journal Pediatrics.

"Depressed adolescents are at increased risk for the development and persistence of obesity during adolescence," concluded the researchers. "Understanding the shared biological and social determinants linking depressed mood and obesity may inform the prevention and treatment of both disorders."

Other sources: Pediatrics