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.
Scientific Claim
Higher abdominal adiposity, as measured by waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, and conicity index, is associated with increased odds of depressive or anxiety symptoms in adults aged 30–70 in Taiwan, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 2.26 to 10.60, suggesting central fat distribution may be a more relevant indicator of psychiatric risk than general obesity.
Original Statement
“In men, all obesity-related indices except BMI and VAI were positively associated with psychiatric morbidity. Indices that reflect central adiposity, particularly the conicity index, WHR, and WHtR, showed the largest effect sizes... Similar patterns were observed in women, although the magnitude of associations was generally smaller.”
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 cross-sectional design cannot establish causation, but the study appropriately uses adjusted odds ratios to report associations. The language 'associated with' correctly reflects observational evidence.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Abdominal Obesity Indices as Predictors of Psychiatric Morbidity in a Large-Scale Taiwanese Cohort
This study found that people with more fat around their waist (not just overall weight) were more likely to have depression or anxiety, and that measuring waist size compared to hips or height was better at spotting this risk than just using body mass index (BMI).