Associations between mental health disorders and body mass index among military personnel.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if overweight or obesity is associated with mental health disorder (MHD) symptoms among military personnel

Methods

Secondary analysis using the 2005 Department of Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey (N = 15,195). Standard Body Mass Index (BMI) categories were used to classify participants' body composition.

RESULTS

For women, obesity was associated with symptoms of serious psychological distress (SPD), post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. For men, obesity and overweight was associated with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and SPD, respectively. Self-reported high personal stress was the strongest predictor of MHD symptoms and suicide attempts.

CONCLUSION

Self-reported stress was a stronger predictor of MHD symptoms than BMI. There is potential value in screening personnel for personal stress as a MHD risk factor.