Children with good mental health at the age of 11 have a lower risk of being overweight or obese at 17.
According to a new study, researchers found that the age of 11 ‘may be a sensitive period in which psychological wellbeing is associated with future body weight’.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool and Maynooth University looked at data from more than 8,000 children, with results published in the journal Obesity.
The research looked at both 11-year-olds and 14-year-olds who were considered overweight or obese, with the group being followed up once aged 17.
To assess wellbeing, children and their caregivers answered questions on issues including happiness with life, self-esteem, happiness with life, social support, depressive symptoms, satisfaction with appearance and online bullying.
Mental health and obesity prevention
Results showed that better mental health at age 11 – but not at age 14 – was linked to the reversal of being overweight or obese by 17 years of age.
Among those who were overweight or obese at age 11 or 14, about 16% – 12% of 11-year-olds and 4% of 14-year-olds – were considered a normal weight at 17.
Dr I Gusti Ngurah Edi Putra is lead researcher on the study. From the Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, he 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.’
Weight loss jabs
NHS England has proposed that patients likely to achieve the greatest clinical benefit from shedding weight are prioritised to receive weight loss jabs as part of a consultation into its use.
A range of services are being developed to deliver the injection, known as tirzepatide, to nearly a quarter of a million people in England during the first three years of implementation.
Under plans laid out in an application to the National Institute for Health and Care excellence (NICE), the models would be tested and evaluated to support weight loss for an increasing number of people over the following nine years.
Tirzepatide – also known as Mounjaro – has been shown in clinical trials to be more effective than diet and exercise support alone. In a recent trial, patients lost an average of 20.9% of their body weight in 36 weeks.
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