title: Association of Adiposity and Mental Health Functioning across the Lifespan: Findings from Understanding Society (The UK Household Longitudinal Study).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence on the adiposity-mental health associations is mixed, with studies finding positive, negative or no associations, and less is known about how these associations may vary by age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association of adiposity -body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and percentage body fat (BF%)- with mental health functioning across the adult lifespan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 11,257 participants (aged 18+) of Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study (waves 2 and 3, 5/2010-7/2013) were employed. Regressions of mental health functioning, assessed by the Mental Component Summary (MCS-12) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), on adiposity measures (continuous or dichotomous indicators) were estimated adjusted for covariates. Polynomial age-adiposity interactions were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher adiposity was associated with poorer mental health functioning. This emerged in the 30s, increased up to mid-40s (all central adiposity and obesity-BF% measures) or early 50s (all BMI measures) and then decreased with age. Underlying physical health generally accounted for these associations except for central adiposity, where associations remained statistically significant from the mid-30s to 50s. Cardiovascular, followed by arthritis and endocrine, conditions played the greatest role in attenuating the associations under investigation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found strong age-specific patterns in the adiposity-mental health functioning association that varied across adiposity measures. Underlying physical health had the dominant role in attenuating these associations. Policy makers and health professionals should target increased adiposity, mainly central adiposity, as it is a risk factor for poor mental health functioning in those aged between mid-30s to 50 years.
authors: Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
authors: Apostolos
authors: A
authors: Davillas
authors: Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.|MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors: Michaela
authors: M
authors: Benzeval
authors: Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.|Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Meena
authors: M
authors: Kumari
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference