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.
Scientific Claim
Abdominal volume index and body roundness index are modestly but significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity in both sexes, suggesting that the spatial distribution and geometry of abdominal fat may contribute to psychological risk beyond simple circumference measures.
Original Statement
“AVI... OR=1.020 (95% CI [1.004, 1.037]) for men and OR=1.017 (95% CI [1.007, 1.027]) for women... BRI... OR=1.065 (95% CI [1.013, 1.119]) for men and OR=1.036 (95% CI [1.009, 1.063]) for women.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study reports precise ORs and p-values without overstating clinical relevance. The language appropriately reflects the modest effect sizes and observational nature.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Abdominal Obesity Indices as Predictors of Psychiatric Morbidity in a Large-Scale Taiwanese Cohort
This study found that how fat is distributed around the belly—not just how much there is—is linked to higher chances of depression and anxiety in both men and women, even more than just measuring waist size.