Associations Between Weight Status and Mental Well-Being in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review examined longitudinal evidence on the relationship between weight status and mental well-being among children and adolescents up to age 18. It included 33 studies conducted between 1994 and 2022, identified through searches of four databases. Higher childhood weight was associated with poorer subsequent mental well-being; evidence also suggested that poor mental well-being may precede higher weight, but studies of this direction were scarce. Overall, the review found evidence of a bidirectional association, with stronger support for weight status predicting later mental well-being than for the reverse.

Key findings

• The review included 33 longitudinal studies conducted between 1994 and 2022.
• Higher childhood weight was associated with lower subsequent mental well-being.
• Poor mental well-being was indicated to be associated with higher subsequent weight, but evidence for this direction was scarce.
• Study designs and methods were highly heterogeneous.

Why it matters

The findings suggest that weight status and mental well-being may be linked over time in both directions during childhood and adolescence. Recognizing this relationship can help frame assessment and research without assuming that weight alone determines mental health or that mental well-being necessarily drives later weight. The stronger evidence concerns the association between higher weight and subsequent poorer well-being.

What to keep in mind

The review found substantial heterogeneity in study designs and methods, and few longitudinal studies examined whether mental well-being precedes later weight status.