A study has found that maintaining good mental health at the age of 11 can significantly reduce the risk of being overweight or obese by the time you reach 17.
The research, conducted by the University of Liverpool and Maynooth University, suggests that the age of 11 is a crucial period where psychological wellbeing can influence future body weight. The study, which was published in the Obesity journal, analysed data from over 8,000 youngsters, including 4,556 11 year olds and 3,791 14 year olds who were considered overweight or obese.
These children were then followed up when they reached the age of 17. The researchers used a series of questions answered by the children and their caregivers to rank their psychological wellbeing.
These questions covered topics such as self-esteem, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, social support, satisfaction with appearance, and experiences of online bullying. The study found that those with better mental health and psychosocial wellbeing at the age of 11 – but not 14 – were more likely to reverse their overweight or obese status by the age of 17.
Of those categorised as overweight or obese at the ages of 11 or 14, approximately 16% (12% of 11 year olds and 4% of 14 year olds) were considered to be of normal weight by the age of 17. Dr I Gusti Ngurah Edi Putra, from the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool, said: "This study is the first to show how psychological wellbeing, specifically at age 11, plays an important role in explaining why some children transitioned into a healthy weight, but the others remained with overweight and obesity by age 17."
"While further work needs to be done to understand why early adolescence is a critical point, we know this is a time in a child’s life when they may be experiencing change – moving up into high school for example. Integrating psychological support into current obesity prevention and treatment, particularly during an age-sensitive period may be important."
Professor Eric Robinson, from the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool, said: "We have known for some time that overweight and obesity are difficult to live with psychologically and these new findings align with other emerging evidence which suggest that as a society we need to be doing a much better job of supporting people with obesity if we are to ever make serious progress in reducing obesity."
