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.
Scientific Claim
Unmeasured confounders such as dietary habits, sleep quality, psychological stress, socioeconomic status, and medication use may influence the observed associations between abdominal obesity and psychiatric morbidity, reducing confidence in the independence of these relationships.
Original Statement
“Despite adjustment for multiple covariates, residual confounding from unmeasured factors, such as dietary habits, sleep quality, psychological stress, socioeconomic status, and medication use, may have influenced the observed associations.”
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 claim accurately reflects the authors’ own admission of residual confounding, aligning with the study’s observational design and GRADE assessment.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Abdominal Obesity Indices as Predictors of Psychiatric Morbidity in a Large-Scale Taiwanese Cohort
The study found a link between belly fat and mental health issues, but it didn’t account for things like diet, stress, or income, so we can’t be sure the fat itself is causing the problems — maybe those other factors are the real cause.