A recent study conducted by a team of medical researchers and disease management experts in China has revealed a significant relationship between high body mass index (BMI) during childhood and development schizophrenia later in life. The study, published in Progress of science, based on previous research that highlights them long-term risks of childhood obesity for health and opens a new field of possible correlation, that of mental health.
It is known that the childhood obesity can lead to numerous health problems such as diabetesTHE heart disease and others chronic diseases. In this study, however, the research team wanted to see whether this could also increase the risk of mental disorders in adulthood. To uncover the possible association, the experts analyzed numerous health data from two major genetic research initiatives: the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, which focuses on discovering the genetic causes of psychiatric disorders, and the FinnGen Consortium, a project dedicated to studying genetic diseases.
The researchers looked at people who were obese during childhood and observed whether, as they got older, they developed mental disorders included obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), his major depressionn From stress and she schizophrenia.
The results showed no association between childhood obesity and most of the mental health conditions studied, with the exception of schizophrenia. In the case of this mental disorder, the results showed a convincing and direct link between childhood obesity and increased risk of schizophrenia in adulthood. Surprisingly, this link appeared to be independent of later-life obesity or other lifestyle factors.
While the study cannot explain exactly why childhood obesity may contribute to the onset of schizophrenia later in life, the researchers hypothesized that Excess body fat may interfere with brain development during critical periods of development. This suggests that childhood obesity may have more complex and long-term effects than previously thought, potentially impacting mental health decades later.
Another surprising finding of the study was that people who were not obese as children but became obese as adults were less likely to develop schizophrenia or obsessive-compulsive disorder. This suggests that the onset of obesity during childhood, in particular, may play a critical role in later mental health.
The importance of prevention
The findings of this study highlight the need to prioritize childhood obesity prevention to promote public health. The researchers reiterate the need to develop health policies and programs focused on childhood obesity prevention not only to reduce the risk of developing physical health problems, but also to protect the long-term mental health.
More research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the link between childhood obesity and schizophrenia, but this study adds to a growing body of evidence highlighting the far-reaching consequences of childhood weight problems. Preventing obesity early in life may be critical to reducing the risk of serious mental health problems in adulthood.