Even after accounting for age, smoking, exercise, and other health problems, belly fat still links to depression and anxiety — meaning the connection isn’t just because of other health issues.

There could be other hidden factors — like diet, stress, or sleep — that make both belly fat and depression more likely, so we can’t be sure the fat itself is causing the mental health issues.

Even though belly fat seems to link more strongly to depression in men than women, the overall pattern is the same for both — meaning the connection isn’t unique to one sex.

We can’t tell if belly fat leads to depression, depression leads to weight gain, or if both happen together — because this study only looked at people at one point in time.

In women, a marker of fat around internal organs is linked to depression or anxiety, but not in men — suggesting men and women may have different biological links between belly fat and mood.

People with more fat around their waist and hips, compared to overall body weight, are more likely to have symptoms of depression or anxiety, especially in middle-aged Taiwanese adults.