Is obesity associated with depression in children? Systematic review and meta-analysis

Childhood mental illness is poorly recognised by healthcare providers and parents, despite half of all lifetime cases of diagnosable mental illness beginning by the age of 14 years. ¹ Globally, depression is the leading cause of disease burden, as measured by disability-adjusted life years, in children aged 10-19 years. ² Untreated, it is associated with poor school performance and social functioning, substance misuse, recurring depression in adulthood and increased suicide risk, which is the second leading cause of preventable death among young people. ^3-6 The resulting cost to the National Health Service of treating depression is estimated at over £2 billion, and the wider social and economic impact of depression is likely to be considerable. ⁷.