Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Apr 21;6(4):1662-77.
doi: 10.3390/nu6041662.

Weight status and psychological distress in a Mediterranean Spanish population: a symmetric U-shaped relationship

Elena Villalobos Martínez  1 , Mario Gutiérrez-Bedmar  2 , Antonio García-Rodríguez  3 , Alberto Mariscal  4 , Carlos Muñoz-Bravo  3 , Joaquín Fernández-Crehuet Navajas  5
Affiliations

Weight status and psychological distress in a Mediterranean Spanish population: a symmetric U-shaped relationship

Elena Villalobos Martínez et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Psychological disorders in people with extreme weight (low weight or obesity) should be taken into consideration by health professionals in order to practice an effective treatment to these patients. This study evaluates the association between body mass index (BMI) and psychological distress in 563 inhabitants of Málaga (South of Spain). Participants were classified in four categories of BMI: Underweight (BMI <18.5 Kg/m2), Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.99 Kg/m2), Overweight (BMI 25.0-29.99 Kg/m2) and Obesity (BMI >30 Kg/m2). Psychological distress was measured with the Spanish version of the Derogatis' Symptoms Checklist Revised (SCL-90-R). We observed a symmetric U-shaped relationship between weight status and psychological distress in all SCL-90-R dimensions (p for quadratic trend <0.001) for both men and women. Participants with extreme weight showed the worst psychological status, and participants with normal weight exhibited the best. We found no statistically significant differences between underweight and obese participants in 9 of the 10 SCL-90-R dimensions analyzed among men, and in 8 of the 10 dimensions among women. Underweight and obese participants showed no gender differences in psychological distress levels. Psychological treatment of Mediterranean people with extreme weight, should consider underweight and obese patients at the same level of psychological distress.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multivariate adjusted mean scores (with 95% CIs) for SCL-90-R primary symptoms dimensions and global severity index (GSI) by gender in each BMI category. CI, confidence interval.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Multivariate adjusted SCL-90-R mean scores (with 95% CIs) for underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese by gender. CI, confidence interval; SOM, somatization; OBC, obsessive-compulsive; ISE, interpersonal sensitivity; DEP, depression; ANX, anxiety; HOS, hostility; PHA, phobic anxiety; PAI, paranoid ideation; PSY, psychoticism; GSI, global severity index.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wardle J., Cooke L. The Impact of Obesity on Psychological Well-being. Best Pract. Res. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2005;19:421–440. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2005.04.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Atlantis E., Baker M. Obesity Effects on Depression: Systematic Review of Epidemiological Studies. Int. J. Obes. (Lond.) 2008;32:881–891. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2008.54. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Luppino F.S., de Wit L.M., Bouvy P.F., Stijnen T., Cuijpers P., Penninx B.W., Zitman F.G. Overweight, Obesity, and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. 2010;67:220–229. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. McCrea R.L., Berger Y.G., King M.B. Body Mass Index and Common Mental Disorders: Exploring the Shape of the Association and its Moderation by Age, Gender and Education. Int. J. Obes. (Lond.) 2012;36:414–421. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2011.65. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kelly S.J., Daniel M., Dal Grande E., Taylor A. Mental Ill-Health Across the Continuum of Body Mass Index. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:765. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-765. - DOI - PMC - PubMed