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esperind t1_j1n8f06 wrote

because most other studies suggest the opposite, and it says as much in the first couple paragraphs of the article,

>Children with obesity are more likely to be diagnosed with depression,
anxiety, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But the
nature of the relationship between obesity and these mental health
conditions is not clear. Obesity might contribute to mental health
symptoms, or vice versa.

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hilfigertout t1_j1n9jmf wrote

Good comments. Contradicting current research is always a red flag.

The paper does not dispute that children with obesity are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, though. That correlation is clear. The conclusion seemed to focus more on the causation aspect, suggesting that underlying environmental factors influence both mental health issues and obesity in a population. From the editor's notes:

> the study finds that previous estimates of the effect of BMI on childhood emotional and behavioural symptoms may have been overestimated due to confounding with the environment. Larger samples will be needed to determine whether there is a causal effect of BMI on childhood emotional or behavioural problems, and what size it is.

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