Obesity has emerged as a major public health problem in Australia.  It is estimated that the prevalence of obesity in children has doubled in the past decade.

Obesity has emerged as a major public health problem in Australia.  It is estimated that the prevalence of obesity in children has doubled in the past decade. There are many known long-term health and social side effects of childhood obesity, but very little is known about whether overweight and obese children have long term risk for mental health problems.

A Menzies study has shed some light on this matter and shown a direct link between overweight and obesity in children and diagnosed depression in later life.

The study examined the association between overweight and obesity in childhood and mental disorders in young adulthood. Data was collected from 1135 girls and 1108 boys in 1985, and again 20 years later.

Researchers found that overweight children may have an increased risk for mood disorder in adulthood. However overweight and obese girls were found to have an even higher risk than boys for developing mood disorders when the obesity continued on into adulthood. 

"We  found overweight girls who don't shed the extra kilos as they grow up double their risk of suffering depression as adults," Dr Kristy Sanderson, lead investigator  for the study said.

"Overweight or obese girls who did not become obese as an adult didn't have an increased risk of depression," she said.

"It was only overweight girls who became obese women ... they had twice the risk of depression, so it was quite a strong effect."

"Why women but not men were vulnerable to mental health effects of persistent weight problems is not clear, but may be due to psychological reactions to weight such as negative self-image and low self-esteem."

"The impetus is even stronger to try and help children who are overweight to lose that weight before they progress to adulthood, particularly for girls."

Legislation, healthier eating and increased activity, and more awareness are key factors in helping to reducing the obesity epidemic amongst our children. The future mental health of our children relies on it.

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