Summary: Children who were overweight or obese by age 7 were more likely to develop emotional problems by age 11, according to a large UK study that followed children through adolescence.

Childhood Obesity and Emotional Problems Appear Together from Age 7, UK Cohort Shows

Source: European Association for the Study of Obesity

New research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) indicates that obesity and emotional problems — including low mood and anxiety — often develop in parallel beginning around age 7. The analysis used data from more than 17,000 children in the UK and tracked body mass index (BMI) and parent-reported emotional symptoms from early childhood into adolescence.

Researchers found that boys and girls who were obese at age 7 had a higher risk of emotional difficulties by age 11, and those emotional problems were in turn associated with higher BMI at age 14. These associations held even after accounting for a range of confounding factors, including gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), behavioral issues, and parental mental health.

The study used data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative birth cohort of children born in the UK between 2000 and 2002. Height and weight measurements were collected at ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14, while parents completed questionnaires about their child’s emotional symptoms. Statistical models examined how obesity and emotional problems co-occurred and evolved across these ages.

Across the study period, rates of both obesity and emotional problems rose steadily. By age 14, nearly 8% of the sample with available data were classified as obese, while about twice that proportion were reported to have experienced feelings of low mood and anxiety. By adolescence, roughly one in five young people with obesity also reported high levels of emotional distress.

The analysis showed that obesity and emotional symptoms tended to emerge together in mid-childhood and adolescence (ages 7 to 14) but were not strongly linked in earlier preschool years (ages 3 to 5). Although girls generally exhibited higher BMI and more emotional symptoms than boys from ages 7 to 14, the pattern of co-occurrence and development of these problems was similar across sexes.

Socioeconomic disadvantage is a well-established risk factor for both obesity and poor mental health. When the researchers adjusted for socioeconomic status, the strength of the association between BMI and emotional problems decreased somewhat, suggesting that shared social and environmental risks partly explain the link. For example, areas with fewer resources often have limited access to healthy food and safe green spaces, factors that can influence both physical and mental wellbeing.

“As both rates of obesity and emotional problems in childhood are increasing, understanding their co-occurrence is an important public health concern, as both are linked with poorer health in adulthood. The next steps are to understand the implications of their co-occurrence and how to best intervene to promote good health,” the authors write.

Study co-leaders highlighted plausible mechanisms that could connect obesity and emotional symptoms without asserting direct causation. Children with higher BMI may face weight-related stigma and lower self-esteem, which can increase depressive symptoms. Conversely, depressive symptoms may contribute to increases in BMI through emotional eating, disrupted sleep or reduced physical activity. The authors emphasize the need for early interventions that address both weight and mental health to reduce longer-term harm.

The researchers caution that the study is observational and cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships. They also acknowledge limitations such as potential unmeasured confounding, reliance on parent-reported emotional symptoms, and participant attrition over time, all of which could influence the findings.

Source:
European Association for the Study of Obesity
Media contacts:
Charlotte Hardman – European Association for the Study of Obesity
Praveetha Patalay – University College London

Original research presentation: Study findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity.