Elevated BMI is notably linked to poorer mental health, particularly among women

High BMI levels have been linked with increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders among women. Factors such as societal pressure, body image concerns, and hormonal changes such as alterations in estrogen and leptin levels, can affect neurotransmitter function and mood regulation may contribute to this association. Overall, these factors contribute to the complex relationship between higher BMI and poor mental health in women.

A cross-sectional study was conducted that employed 1,821 men and women aged 46–73 years, randomly selected from a large primary care centre. Depression and well-being were assessed using the 20-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the World Health Organization-Five (WHO-5) Well-Being Index.

Linear regression analyses were performed to examine relationships between mental health scores (dependent variable) and adiposity (independent variable) defined using body mass index (BMI) and waist-height ratio while adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and disease conditions.

The findings revealed that BMI and waist-height ratio had a significant positive association with depression scores and a significant inverse association with well-being scores in males and females.

When disease conditions were adjusted for, BMI (β = 0.743, p < .001) and waist-height ratio (β = 0.719, p < .001) associations with the CES-D score remained significant. In stratified analyses, relationships between measures of adiposity and depression were found to be stronger in females (BMI: β = 0.806, p = .007; waist-height ratio: β = 0.768, p = .01) than males (BMI: β = 0.573, p = .049; waist-height ratio: β = 0.593, p = .044) but no effect modification was identified.

The results suggested that increased adiposity is significantly associated with poorer mental health, independent of lifestyle factors and disease conditions. Targeted interventions for reducing depression should include better population-level weight management measures.