Fat and jolly Eaing for fun? ... research finds significant link
between depression and BMI. Teenage girls who are obese are less
likely to be depressed than girls who are simply overweight,
French researchers have shown. Their study could support the
"fat and jolly" hypothesis, they wrote in the journal BMC Public
Health. The improved well-being could be linked to hormone and
neuroendocrine issues related to excess weight or simply could
be relief at giving up on a constant weight-loss battle, they
suggested. Their study of almost 40,000 17-year-olds found the
link between body mass index and depression was significant in
both boys and girls, although a higher proportion of girls were
depressed than boys, despite the fact fewer girls were
overweight. While in boys obesity or being underweight were
associated with depression, in girls it was being overweight
that was linked to the most mental health problems.