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5 July, (foodconsumer.org) - Obese individuals are more prone to develop depression and other mood and anxiety disorders, according to a new study. The risk of depression is especially high in Caucasian Americans and individuals with better education and higher income, the study found.

Researchers from Group Health Center for Health Studies found that obesity is linked to a 25 percent higher risk of developing major depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) and panic disorder.

"Understanding the connection between obesity and depression is an important public health issue because both of these conditions are so common and have a significant impact on our health care systems," said lead author Greg Simon, MD, MPH, a Group Health psychiatrist.

The study of 9,000 people, published in the July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, is the first one to associate obesity and mood disorders while previous studies had looked at the physical consequences of obesity.

The study on the obesity and depression association was part of a large national survey of mental disorders in the United States. The researchers conducted in-person interviews with 9,125 people between February 2001, and February 2003. Mental disorders were diagnosed using a World Health Organization diagnostic interview.

The average age of the participants in the study was 45 years. Some of the common diagnoses of mental disorders included major depression or bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, agoraphobia without panic, or generalized anxiety disorder and substance-use disorders.

Participants having a body mass index, of 30 or higher, were found to be 25% more likely than those with a BMI under 30 to have a mood disorder. BMI is calculated using height and weight of the individual. A BMI of over 25 is generally considered overweight or obesity.

Some of the other findings include:

* Obese individuals are 25 percent less likely to have a substance abuse disorder as compared to people with normal weight.

* Around 20 percent of Americans suffer depression at some point of their lives, while in obese people this incidence is 28 percent.

* The American has a 30 percent chance of being obese, but a depressed person has a 40 percent chance of becoming obese.

* In people with post-secondary education and consequently higher incomes, the risk of obesity and depression was as high as 44 percent.

* Previous studies have linked obesity and depression as a factor occurring more commonly among women, but the current study did not find such differences in the genders.

* Socially, in groups where obesity is more common (non-whites), there did not appear to be significant depression. But this increased in groups that had more educated individuals.

"Perhaps in groups where obesity is less socially normative, it's less acceptable and that's why there's a greater association with depression," Dr Simon said. "But in groups where it is less stigmatized, obesity doesn't seem to be as depressing."

The researchers say that obesity and depression may be linked "through some common cause or third factor, either environmental (child abuse, for example) or biological."
The next step, according to the researchers is to further probe into this link and understand if weight-loss programs designed for depressed people have to include counseling as well.

A report published in the April 5 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association had found that Americans had been increasingly neglecting their health and obesity had been on the rise. Data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that 32 percent US adults were obese. But it's been unknown how obesity would affect depression until the current study.

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