Adolescent obesity and mental health: Narrative review of modulation factors

Abstract

Clinical obesity and impairment in an individual’s mental health remain global health concerns despite growing interest in advocacy and health-care initiatives. Among the adolescent population, these predispose individuals to a greater risk for poor metabolic status and quality of life in the long term, given the unique pubertal characteristics of this age category. The relationship between the causation of adolescent obesity and mental health is believed to have bidirectional properties but remains unclear. The aim of this article was to narratively examine genetic and socioeconomic modulatory mechanisms that contribute to the bidirectional model. Among these modulatory mechanisms, the presence of three catalytic factors seems to play a critical role in the bidirectional model: food deserts, cultural acceleration, and parental influence.

Keywords

• adolescence
• anxiety
• depression
• leptin
• obesity
• socioeconomic