Obesity and Psychopathology From Childhood to Adolescence: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.

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Title: Obesity and Psychopathology From Childhood to Adolescence: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.
Authors: Beltrán-Garrayo, Lucía1 luciabel-tran.psicologia@gmail.com, Quirós, Blanca1, Sepúlveda, Ana Rosa1
Source: Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria. 2025, Vol. 53 Issue 6, p1410-1431. 22p.
Subjects: OBESITY, EATING disorders, TEENAGERS, ANXIETY, LONGITUDINAL method, MENTAL depression, ADOLESCENCE, PATHOLOGICAL psychology
Abstract: Background: Obesity and psychological symptoms often coexist during childhood and adolescence. Understanding the long-term associations between these conditions is essential for designing effective prevention and intervention strategies. The study presented here aimed to examine recent evidence concerning the longitudinal relationship between obesity and commonly comorbid psychopathologies such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders during childhood and adolescence. Methods: A systematic review of prospective observational studies was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost databases, covering publications from 2010 to 2025. Twenty-one high-quality studies met the inclusion criteria, especially of participants aged six to 18 years and follow-up periods of at least two years. Results: A narrative synthesis of 21 prospective studies reveals key longitudinal associations between obesity and psychological symptoms throughout childhood and adolescence, with gender-specific patterns becoming more evident during the teenage years. The collective evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between eating disorders and obesity. Furthermore, there is evidence indicating a potential prospective association between elevated weight trajectories and depressive symptoms, a connection that appears to be influenced by gender. Specifically, the association from depression to obesity may be more pronounced in older children, particularly girls. Due to the limited number of studies focusing on anxiety symptoms, definitive conclusions regarding their relationship with obesity remain elusive. Conclusions: This systematic review points to the scarcity of prospective studies that extend beyond two years of follow-up to explore the bidirectional association between obesity and psychological symptoms in youth. While the findings of the present study indicate mutual influences, particularly for eating disorders and depressive symptoms, further research involving longer follow-up periods and diverse populations is warranted. The present study’s results emphasise the importance of early, integrated prevention efforts that address common risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria is the property of Maria Lopez-Ibor and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Obesity and Psychopathology From Childhood to Adolescence: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Beltrán-Garrayo%2C+Lucía%22">Beltrán-Garrayo, Lucía</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> luciabel-tran.psicologia@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Quirós%2C+Blanca%22">Quirós, Blanca</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sepúlveda%2C+Ana+Rosa%22">Sepúlveda, Ana Rosa</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Actas+Espanolas+de+Psiquiatria%22">Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria</searchLink>. 2025, Vol. 53 Issue 6, p1410-1431. 22p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22OBESITY%22">OBESITY</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22EATING+disorders%22">EATING disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22TEENAGERS%22">TEENAGERS</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22ANXIETY%22">ANXIETY</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22LONGITUDINAL+method%22">LONGITUDINAL method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22MENTAL+depression%22">MENTAL depression</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22ADOLESCENCE%22">ADOLESCENCE</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22PATHOLOGICAL+psychology%22">PATHOLOGICAL psychology</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Background: Obesity and psychological symptoms often coexist during childhood and adolescence. Understanding the long-term associations between these conditions is essential for designing effective prevention and intervention strategies. The study presented here aimed to examine recent evidence concerning the longitudinal relationship between obesity and commonly comorbid psychopathologies such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders during childhood and adolescence. Methods: A systematic review of prospective observational studies was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost databases, covering publications from 2010 to 2025. Twenty-one high-quality studies met the inclusion criteria, especially of participants aged six to 18 years and follow-up periods of at least two years. Results: A narrative synthesis of 21 prospective studies reveals key longitudinal associations between obesity and psychological symptoms throughout childhood and adolescence, with gender-specific patterns becoming more evident during the teenage years. The collective evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between eating disorders and obesity. Furthermore, there is evidence indicating a potential prospective association between elevated weight trajectories and depressive symptoms, a connection that appears to be influenced by gender. Specifically, the association from depression to obesity may be more pronounced in older children, particularly girls. Due to the limited number of studies focusing on anxiety symptoms, definitive conclusions regarding their relationship with obesity remain elusive. Conclusions: This systematic review points to the scarcity of prospective studies that extend beyond two years of follow-up to explore the bidirectional association between obesity and psychological symptoms in youth. While the findings of the present study indicate mutual influences, particularly for eating disorders and depressive symptoms, further research involving longer follow-up periods and diverse populations is warranted. The present study’s results emphasise the importance of early, integrated prevention efforts that address common risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria is the property of Maria Lopez-Ibor and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.62641/aep.v53i6.1897
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 1410
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      – SubjectFull: OBESITY
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: EATING disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: TEENAGERS
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: ANXIETY
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: LONGITUDINAL method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: MENTAL depression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: ADOLESCENCE
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: PATHOLOGICAL psychology
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Obesity and Psychopathology From Childhood to Adolescence: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.
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            NameFull: Beltrán-Garrayo, Lucía
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              M: 11
              Text: 2025
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