Search

Background: There have been few prospective studies on the association between anxiety disorders and adolescent obesity; none examine potential reciprocal effects., Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the prospective association between anxiety disorders and obesity among adolescents., Methods: Using data from a two-wave, prospective study of 3134 adolescents, we examined reciprocal effects between body weight and DSM-IV anxiety disorders., Results: Weight status did not increase future risk of anxiety disorders nor did anxiety disorders at baseline increase risk of future obesity in the overall sample. Stratifying by gender revealed an increased risk of overweight and obesity in males with anxiety disorders, but not for females. Major depression did not mediate these associations., Conclusion: Similar to prospective studies of depression, it appears anxiety disorders may increase risk of obesity. However, more research is needed on the role of psychopathology in adolescent obesity, in particular anxiety disorders and possible moderators (such as gender) and mediators.

We reexamine the effects of obesity on a wide range (n=17) of indicators of functioning drawn from five broad domains: interpersonal problems, psychological problems, suicidal behaviors, academic performance, and psychiatric disorders. Evidence on this question is mixed. Data are analyzed from a large community sample of adolescents 11-17 at baseline (n=4175) who were followed up a year later (n=3134). Using measured height and weight, overweight was defined as 95th>BMI≤85th percentile and obese as BMI >95th percentile. At baseline, obesity was associated with increased odds only for any mood disorder and poor perceived mental health. For boys, there were no significant associations, but girls had higher odds of problems at school, poor perceived mental health, and mood disorders. Results from the two-wave cohort reveal obesity increased future risk only for poor perceived mental health. For boys, the same pattern was observed, but for girls there were no significant associations. Overall, we found that weight status had few deleterious effects on adolescent social functioning, in multivariate, prospective analyses. If there is an effect of obesity on functioning, it may operate through mediators such as body image., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate differences in associations between physical activity and overweight for students in two adjacent areas on the border between Mexico and the United States of America: students in the city of Matamoros, Mexico, and Mexican-American students in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) area of southern Texas. Since the extremely high prevalence of overweight among Mexican-American adolescents is well-recognized, we wanted to determine whether overweight has become a problem among Mexican adolescents as well., Methods: Students from 6 schools (n = 653), representing 11% of the ninth-grade students in Matamoros during 2002-2003, and students from 13 high schools (n = 4,736), representing 22% of the ninth-grade students in the LRGV during 2000-2001, completed questionnaires. Polytomous logistic regression was performed to estimate the risk of being at risk for overweight (> or = 85th percentile to < 95th percentile of body mass index (BMI) for age and sex) and the risk of being overweight (> or = 95th percentile of BMI-for-age and sex) versus normal weight that were associated with measures of physical activity. For simplicity, the classification of normal weight also included underweight., Results: A higher percentage of adolescents in the LRGV were at risk of overweight (17%) in comparison with adolescents from Matamoros (15%). The percentages of LRGV and Matamoros adolescents who were overweight were identical (17%). LRGV adolescent boys (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.77-0.98) who participated in team sports were less likely to be at or above the 85th percentile of BMI-for-age and sex. Although of borderline significance, Matamoros and LRGV adolescent boys who participated in physical education classes were less likely to be at risk for overweight. Among neither the Matamoros students nor the LRGV students were any of the various other physical activity categories or levels associated with being at risk for overweight or being overweight., Conclusions: Nearly one-third of the students in both Matamoros and the LRGV are at risk for overweight or are overweight. Implementation of interventions on healthful dietary choices and participation in physical education classes and sports teams are essential for reducing the extremely high prevalence of overweight among students on both sides of the Texas/Mexico border.

Does obesity affect mental health? Two waves of data from a panel study of community residents 50 years and older were used to investigate the association between obesity and eight indicators of mental health: happiness, perceived mental health, life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, optimism, feeling loved and cared for, and depression. For none of the eight mental health outcomes examined did we observe a protective effect for obesity. Either no association was observed between obesity and psychological functioning, or the obese were worse off. Using 1994-1999 prospective data, the obese were at increased risk for poorer mental health on five of the outcomes examined using bivariate analyses. However, controlling for mental health problems at baseline and using statistical controls for covariates, the increased relative risk was limited to depression. There has been sufficient disparity of results thus far to justify further research on this question.

Objective: To estimate prevalence, trends and persistence of discordance between measured body weight and perceived body weight and body satisfaction, and examine its association with gender, ethnicity, and family income.Methods: Using two-wave data from a prospective cohort study of adolescents sampled from Houston metropolitan area, aged 11-17years at baseline (n=4175) in 2000, and followed up in 2001 (n=3134). Survey logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (OR).Results: Females, European Americans, and adolescents in families with higher income were more likely to overestimate their body weight, and to be dissatisfied with their body weight, compared with males, African Americans, or those with a lower family income, respectively. Healthy weight females had significantly elevated odds of perceiving themselves as overweight compared with healthy weight males: OR=1.82 (1.27-2.61) in Wave 1, OR=2.81 (1.82-4.34) in Wave 2, and OR=3.85 (1.58-9.38) in both waves. Similarly, healthy weight European Americans had about two times higher odds of perceiving themselves as overweight than healthy weight African Americans. Healthy weight females had over 1.5 odds of being dissatisfied with their body compared to healthy weight males. Compared with African Americans, European Americans were more likely to be dissatisfied with their body even they were within healthy weight range.Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of discordance between actual weight and perceived weight and body satisfaction among adolescents. Discordances differed by gender, ethnicity, and family income, and should be taken into account in interventions for preventing overweight and obesity, and other undesired outcomes in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This is the first prospective study of the reciprocal association between sleep restriction and weight among adolescents. Evidence on sleep duration and obesity in youth is sparse and the results have been equivocal.Methods: Data are from a community-based, two-wave cohort study. The setting was a metropolitan area with a population of over 4 million. The cohort consisted of 4175 youths 11-17 at baseline and 3134 of these followed up a year later. Obesity was defined as body mass index >95th percentile for children of the same age and sex. Sleep restriction was defined as 6 or fewer hours of sleep per night on weeknights or on both weekends and weeknights. Covariates examined were age, gender, family income and depression.Results: Results clearly demonstrated that there was no association between sleep restriction and obesity at baseline. In prospective analyses, sleep restriction did not increase future risk of obesity, nor did obesity increase risk of future sleep restriction.Conclusions: These findings call into question previous research based primarily on cross-sectional data suggesting a positive correlation between sleep restriction and obesity. However, the results for adolescents in this study are supported by one study of adolescents and by studies of adults using prospective designs. At this point, there appears to be little evidence for a temporal relation between sleep duration and obesity among adults or adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this paper is to reexamine the association between major depression and obesity in adolescents, testing the hypothesis that body image mediates this association. This is the first paper to examine this question using DSM-IV diagnosis of depression and data from a two-wave cohort of adolescents. Methods Participants were 4175 youths 11–17 years of age sampled from the community who were followed up a year later ( n =3134). Major depression was assessed using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Body image was measured with perceived weight. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥95th percentile using measured height and weight. Results When we examined a model which included obesity, perceived weight, major depression and covariates, there was no association between major depression at baseline and obesity at follow-up. We found no independent association between major depression and body weight. Limitations The study was limited in that it is not a national sample, BMI was the only measure of adiposity, perceived weight was the only measure of body image, and there were no data on lifetime trajectories of depression, obesity, or body image. Conclusions If there is an etiologic link between major depression and body weight among adolescents, it most likely operates through processes involving components of body image, since controlling for body image eliminated the association between depression and obesity. Clinically, addressing body image in depressed patients who are obese may improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To examine the association between perceived overweight in adolescents and the development of overweight or obesity later in life. Methods: This paper uses data from a prospective, two-wave cohort study. Participants are 2445 adolescents 11–17years of age who reported perceived weight at baseline and also had height and weight measured at baseline and at follow-up six years later sampled from managed care groups in a large metropolitan area. Results: Youths who perceived themselves as overweight at baseline were approximately 2.5 times as likely to be overweight or obese six years later compared to youths who perceived themselves as average weight (OR=2.45, 95% CI=1.77–3.39), after adjusting for weight status at baseline, demographic characteristics, major depression, physical activity and dieting behaviors. Those who perceived themselves as skinny were less likely to be overweight or obese later (OR=0.36, 95% CI=0.27–0.49). Conclusions: Perceived overweight was associated with overweight or obesity later in life. This relationship was not fully explained by extreme weight control behaviors or major depression. Further research is needed to explore the mechanism involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examined the association between major depression, obesity and body image among adolescents. Methods: Participants were 4175 youths 11–17 years of age sampled from the community who were interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children and Adolescents, Version IV, completed a self-report questionnaire, and had their weight and height measured. There were 2 measures of body image: perceived weight and body satisfaction. Obesity was associated with increased risk of depression, with no controls for covariates. However, when the association was examined in models which included weight, major depression, and body image measures and covariates, there was no association between major depression and body weight, nor between body satisfaction and major depression. Perceived overweight was strongly and independently associated with body weight (O.R. = 2.62). We found no independent association between major depression and body weight. If there is an etiologic link between major depression and body weight among adolescents, it most likely operates through processes involving components of body image. Future research should focus on the role of depression and body image in the etiology of obesity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two waves of data from a community-based study (Alameda County Study, 1994–1995) were used to investigate the association between obesity and depression. Depression was measured with 12 items covering Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depressive episode. Following US Public Health Service criteria, obese subjects were defined as those with body mass index scores at the 85th percentile or higher. Covariates were age, sex, education, marital status, social isolation and social support, chronic medical conditions, functional impairment, life events, and financial strain. Results were mixed. In cross-sectional analyses, greater odds for depression in 1994 were observed for the obese, with and without adjustment for covariates. When obesity and depression were examined prospectively, controlling for other variables, obesity in 1994 predicted depression in 1995 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 2.87). When the data were analyzed with obesity defined as a body mass index of ≥30, cross-sectional results were the same. However, the prospective multivariate analyses were not significant (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.85, 2.43). Although these data do not resolve the role of obesity as a risk factor for depression, overall the results suggest an association between obesity and depression. The authors found no support for the “jolly fat” hypothesis (obesity reduces risk of depression). However, there has been sufficient disparity of results thus far to justify continued research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]