Overweight and Cheerful Means a Lower Suicide Risk

Boston researchers have done an inter4sting study that looks at the possible links between weight, mental well-being, and risk of suicide. It’s published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and may have already encouraged too many fat and jolly folk to go off their diet.

Over 45,000 men taking part in the health professionals Follow-up Study were assessed in 1996 and followed until 2002. Height, weight, physical activity, and mental-health related quality-of-life were determined by survey; causes of death were recorded. There were 131 suicides during the study period. With the suicide rates expressed per 100,000 person-years, the rate ranged from 13/100,000 for those with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or greater (i.e. obese) to 52/100,000 for those with a BMI of less than 21. For each unit increase in BMI, the suicide rate was lowered by 11%.

The mental-health related quality of life scale also showed improvement as the BMI increased – supporting the ‘fat and jolly’ image. However, height and the amount of physical activity didn’t influence the suicide rate.

Before you rush off to the food court to raise your BMI, remember the words of the study investigators: “. . . obesity cannot be recommended on the basis of its detrimental effects [on health] . . .” We’ve provided plenty of evidence of this, on this blog and on HealthandAge.com.