Yes,
your excess body weight is a leading cause for your deteriorating mental
health. Proved by a team of researchers of USA, the link between mental health
conditions and obesity is directly related. A study on over 12,000 children and
teenagers shows us an eye opening result that tells obesity definitely raises
the risk of anxiety and depression, which is something that physicians and
healthcare professionals are rigid about.
According
to the reports of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 35% of
young adults in the United States are obese. And also, the mental health
conditions are prevalent in these adults. The demography of young people
between the age group of 13-17 are facing anxiety issues. Further nationwide
study connects to anxiety of young people with obesity and finds that obesity
is an independent risk factor for anxiety and depression among children and
teenagers.
The Study
Lead
researcher from the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm, Sweden, examined data of
over 12,000 children and teenagers, aged between 6-17, who were under treatment
for obesity and compared the relative symptoms (If found any) with 60,000
counterparts who were not obese. The girls were likely to face 43% less anxiety
issues than boys of their age and same peer group. The risk or anxiety was 33%
more in boys with obesity.
Many
other factors depression and anxiety, such as origin of their culture, their
family history, there background etc. were not addressed as their presence
would have given deviated results. It was seen that even though these factors
were neglected, obesity still raised a risk for developing anxiety and
depression. Results showed a greater picture of 11.6% of the girls who were
obese received such a diagnosis as compared to girls without obesity, also, 8%
of boys with obesity received the diagnosis, compared to 4.1% without obesity.
An
increased risk of anxiety and depression can be clearly seen in children and
adolescents when compared with obesity with population-based comparison group.
This issue is something for which the healthcare professionals need to be
vigilant about.
Also Read: Yoga Classes in School to Help the Students to Fight Stress and Anxiety
The Final
Thoughts
Although
the study may be a little biased and the scientists do acknowledge some
limitations to their study as , they believe, some observational factors may
not be considered and the mechanism behind the associations is still not clear.
Maybe
the cause of depression and anxiety connects with obesity and maybe not. But
these two conditions, if found prevailing in the teenagers , the adults must
behave responsibly to eradicate them from the children.
Author: Ajinkya Bhonsle
No comments:
Post a comment