In Bangladesh, overweight individuals have fewer symptoms of depression than nonoverweight individuals.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine whether the association between overweight and depression usually found in western societies would also be found in locations where overweight is not stigmatized. A total of 1,271 individuals from rural Bangladesh were randomly selected; the response rate was 76%. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The sum MADRS scores were 13.4 (s.d. = 5.8) and 18.5 (8.1) for overweight vs. nonoverweight (t = 6.6; P < 0.000) men, respectively, and 19.7 (7.8) and 23.2 (7.9) for overweight vs. nonoverweight women, respectively (t = 4.2; P < 0.000). Thus the MADRS score was lower in overweight individuals. After adjusting for sex and age, BMI significantly predicted the MADRS score (beta = -0.3; t = 10.2; P < 0.000). These findings suggest that overweight may be related to fewer depressive symptoms in non western cultures.