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Obesity and weight gain in relation to depression: findings from the Stirling County Study

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages 335–341 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

This study concerns the question of whether obese subjects in a community sample experience depression in a different way from the nonobese, especially whether they overeat to the point of gaining weight during periods of depression.

Design:

A representative sample of adults was interviewed regarding depression and obesity.

Subjects:

The sample consisted of 1396 subjects whose interviews were studied regarding relationships between obesity and depression and among whom 114 had experienced a major depressive episode at some point in their lives and provided information about the symptoms experienced during the worst or only episode of major depression.

Measurements:

The Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) was used to identify major depressive episodes. Information was also derived from the section on Depression and Anxiety (DPAX) of the Stirling Study Schedule. Obesity was calculated as a body mass index >30. Logistic regressions were employed to assess relationships, controlling for age and gender, by means of odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results:

In the sample as a whole, obesity was not related to depression although it was associated with the symptom of hopelessness. Among those who had ever experienced a major depressive episode, obese persons were 5 times more likely than the nonobese to overeat leading to weight gain during a period of depression (P<0.002). These obese subjects, compared to the nonobese, also experienced longer episodes of depression, a larger number of episodes, and were more preoccupied with death during such episodes.

Conclusions:

Depression among obese subjects in a community sample tends to be more severe than among the nonobese. Gaining weight while depressed is an important marker of that severity. Further research is needed to understand and possibly prevent the associations, sequences and outcomes among depression, obesity, weight gain and other adversities.

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Acknowledgements

The research reported here was supported by grant R01 MH39576-23 from the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (Dr Murphy). Grateful acknowledgement is made to Patricia Merritt, Ellen Krystofik and Julie Burns for field management and data processing and additionally to Julie Burns for help with the literature review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    J M Murphy

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    J M Murphy & R R Monson

  3. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA

    N J Horton

  4. Department of Psychiatry, The Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    J D Burke Jr

  5. Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    N M Laird

  6. Centre de Recherche Fernand-Seguin et Hôpital Louis-H Lafontaine and Université of Montréal, Montréal, PQ, Canada

    A Lesage

  7. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    A M Sobol

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  1. J M Murphy
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  6. A Lesage
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  7. A M Sobol
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Correspondence to J M Murphy.

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Murphy, J., Horton, N., Burke, J. et al. Obesity and weight gain in relation to depression: findings from the Stirling County Study. Int J Obes 33, 335–341 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.273

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