Weight-reducing treatments are associated with an improvement in depression, functional health status, and quality of life: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To assess whether there is a beneficial or detrimental effect of weight reduction on mental health.

Materials and methods

Meta-analysis of randomized trials performed for weight loss, in which weight loss at endpoint was greater than 5% in the intervention arm and smaller than 5% in the control arm, obtained with any surgical, endoscopic, or EMA-approved pharmacological intervention. The endpoints were the incidence of overall and specific psychiatric adverse events.

Results

Weight loss was associated with a reduced risk of major depression (MH-OR 0.45 95% CI [0.21, 0.94], I² = 0), and overall depression (MH-OR 0.72 [0.54, 0.97]); in subgroup analyses, a weight loss greater than 10% was associated with a lower incidence of depression than smaller weight

SUBMITTER: Silverii GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12673451 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature