Childhood BMI Linked to Increased Risk for Schizophrenia
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 -- Childhood body mass index (BMI) has a direct and enduring effect on the risk for schizophrenia later in life, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in Science Advances.
Pei Xiao, from Beijing Children's Hospital in China, and colleagues used data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and FinnGen study to examine the causal effects of childhood and adulthood BMI on adult psychiatric disorders including Alzheimer disease, anxiety, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia.
The researchers found a significant association for childhood BMI with an increased risk for schizophrenia, while BMI in adulthood was associated with a reduced risk for OCD and schizophrenia. A direct causal effect of childhood BMI on schizophrenia was indicated by multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses, independent of adulthood BMI and lifestyle factors. There was no evidence of causal associations between childhood BMI and other psychiatric outcomes.
"These findings underscore the critical importance of early-life interventions to mitigate the long-term mental health consequences of childhood obesity," the authors write. "Overall, our study provides robust evidence for policymakers and health care professionals to develop targeted interventions aimed at reducing childhood obesity and mitigating its long-term consequences for mental health."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
Helping Others Linked to Higher Level of Cognitive Function
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- Helping others, both via formal volunteering and informal helping, is associated with higher levels of cognitive function and slower cognitive decline...
TAR-200 Monotherapy Promising for BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- For patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), an intravesical...
Work-Related Income Drops for Parents of Children Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- Work-related income decreases sharply for mothers and fathers of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, with similar effects across sociodemographic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.