How fat is shaped and spread around the belly — not just how big it is — is linked to depression and anxiety, even after accounting for other health factors.

A new way to measure belly shape — called the conicity index — is the best single sign among all body measurements to predict depression or anxiety in middle-aged Taiwanese men, and still a strong sign in women.

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.

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.