Can Obesity Cause Depression? A Pseudo-panel Analysis.
- Author:
Hyungserk HA
1
;
Chirok HAN
;
Beomsoo KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Obesity; Depression; Body mass index; Social isolation
- MeSH: Adult; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; Body Mass Index; Depression*; Depressive Disorder, Major; Humans; Obesity*; Social Isolation
- From:Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health 2017;50(4):262-267
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVES: The US ranks ninth in obesity in the world, and approximately 7% of US adults experience major depressive disorder. Social isolation due to the stigma attached to obesity might trigger depression. METHODS: This paper examined the impact of obesity on depression. To overcome the endogeneity problem, we constructed pseudo-panel data using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 1997 to 2008. RESULTS: The results were robust, and body mass index (BMI) was found to have a positive effect on depression days and the percentage of depressed individuals in the population. CONCLUSIONS: We attempted to overcome the endogeneity problem by using a pseudo-panel approach and found that increases in the BMI increased depression days (or being depressed) to a statistically significant extent, with a large effect size.
