Study Suggests Good Mental Health at Age 11 Can Help Reverse Obesity by Age 17

October 9, 2024 TruthUSA

According to researchers, the age of 11 may represent a sensitive period where psychological wellbeing has a significant impact on body weight trajectories.

A recent study concluded that good mental health at age 11 is linked to a higher likelihood of overweight and obesity reversal by age 17.

The study, conducted by the University of Liverpool and Maynooth University in Ireland, focusing on children transitioning to healthy weights, was published in the journal Obesity on Tuesday. It examined the data of 8,000 British children who were overweight or obese.

Researchers analyzed information from 4,556 11-year-olds and 3,791 14-year-olds, then followed up on their progress at age 17. They found that better psychological wellbeing at age 11—though not at age 14—was more closely associated with achieving a healthy body weight by age 17.

The study indicated that this suggests late childhood and early adolescence, approximately around age 11, “may be a sensitive period in which psychological wellbeing has a pronounced prospective relationship with body weight trajectories.”

Lead researcher I Gusti Ngurah Edi Putra from the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool, in a statement, emphasized that this research is the first to demonstrate how psychological wellbeing, specifically at age 11, plays a crucial role in determining why some children transition to a healthy weight while others remain overweight or obese by age 17.

“While more research is needed to understand why early adolescence is a critical period, we know this is a time when children may experience changes, such as transitioning to high school. Integrating psychological support into current obesity prevention and treatment, especially during this sensitive age period, may be crucial,” Putra stated.

Mental Health and Weight

The study highlighted that poor psychological wellbeing is already linked with a higher risk of becoming overweight or developing obesity, both of which are associated with adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, and certain forms of cancer.

The report noted that children who are overweight or obese often experience poor mental health, low self-esteem, and depressive symptoms.

Researchers further stated that the behavioral responses to these mental health issues, such as decreased physical activity and unhealthy eating habits, “may contribute to the persistence of overweight and obesity” in children.

“Moreover, exposure to negative psychosocial stressors (e.g., weight stigma) in children with overweight or obesity could lead to an increase in cortisol secretion, resulting in fat accumulation,” the report highlighted.

Professor Eric Robinson from the Institute of Population Health explained, “We have long known that living with overweight or obesity is challenging psychologically, and these new findings are consistent with emerging evidence suggesting that as a society, we need to provide better support to people dealing with obesity in order to make significant progress in reducing obesity.”

Children Getting Heavier, Shorter

According to the most recent data from NHS England on obesity, in 2022, 29 percent of adults were living with obesity, while nearly two-thirds (64 percent) were overweight or living with obesity.

For children aged two to 15, the prevalence of obesity was 15 percent, with 27 percent of children being overweight or obese.

A separate report by the Food Foundation charity in June revealed a 30 percent increase in obesity levels among 10- and 11-year-olds since 2006, along with a 22 percent rise in Type 2 diabetes cases in under-25s over the past five years.

The report also highlighted a decrease in the average height of UK children since 2013, after a period of growth from 2000. While acknowledging the role of ethnicity in height differences, the report suggested that the decline was more due to dietary deficiencies than demographic shifts.

A study in January by researchers from Imperial College London, exploring the increase in childhood weight gain, estimated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 10- and 11-year-olds alone could cost the NHS £800 million, with societal costs exceeding £8.7 billion, including expenses related to quality of life and reduced productivity.

The analysis revealed a significant rise in childhood obesity between 2019/2020 and 2020/2021—years coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers attributed this increase to changes in children’s activity and eating habits, as lockdown measures led to most children being educated at home without access to organized sports activities.

Rachel Roberts contributed to this report.

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