title: Heaviness, health and happiness: a cross-sectional study of 163066 UK Biobank participants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is known to increase the risk of many diseases and reduce overall quality of life. This study examines the relationship with self-reported health (SRH) and happiness.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study of the 163 066 UK Biobank participants who completed the happiness rating. The association between adiposity and SRH and happiness was examined using logistic regression. SRH was defined as good (excellent, good), or poor (fair, poor). Self-reported happiness was defined as happy (extremely, very, moderately) or unhappy (moderately, very, extremely).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Poor health was reported by 44 457 (27.3%) participants. The adjusted ORs for poor health were 3.86, 2.92, 2.60 and 6.41 for the highest, compared with lowest, deciles of Body Mass Index, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and body fat percent, respectively. The associations were stronger in men (p<0.001). Overall, 7511 (4.6%) participants felt unhappy, and only class III obese participants were more likely to feel unhappy (adjusted OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.53, p<0.001) but the associations differed by sex (p<0.001). Among women, there was a significant association between unhappiness and all levels of obesity. By contrast, only class III obese men had significantly increased risk and overweight and class I obese men were less likely to be unhappy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity impacts adversely on happiness as well as health, but the association with unhappiness disappeared after adjustment for self-reported health, indicating this may be mediated by health. Compared with obese men, obese women are less likely to report poor health, but more likely to feel unhappy.
authors: University of Glasgow, , Glasgow, UK.
authors: Zia
authors: Z
authors: Ul-Haq
authors: Daniel F
authors: DF
authors: Mackay
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Martin
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Smith
authors: Jason M R
authors: JM
authors: Gill
authors: Barbara I
authors: BI
authors: Nicholl
authors: Breda
authors: B
authors: Cullen
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Evans
authors: Beverly
authors: B
authors: Roberts
authors: Ian J
authors: IJ
authors: Deary
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Gallacher
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Hotopf
authors: Nick
authors: N
authors: Craddock
authors: Jill P
authors: JP
authors: Pell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
keywords: HEALTH STATUS; NUTRITION; OBESITY; PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS