Obesity and mental illness have been on the rise in young people in recent years.
Researchers have linked obesity to neuropsychiatric problems such as ADHD, depression and eating disorders.
According to new research from Lund and Gothenburg Universities, half of young people suffering from morbid obesity have neuropsychiatric problems.
It was observed that two thirds of the adolescents had mental health problems, as reported by themselves or their parents.
The study included 48 adolescents (73% girls), with a mean age of 15 years and an average Body Mass Index of 42. Half received medical treatment for obesity, while the rest underwent surgery.
Parents completed questionnaires to assess the likelihood of ADHD and autism in their children. Teenagers answered questions about overeating and depressive symptoms.
The findings showed that adolescents had ADHD-like difficulties and / or autism, although few had been diagnosed.
Kajsa Järvholm said that the symptoms of ADHD mean that the person has difficulty controlling their impulses. This increases the risk of overeating even when the person is not feeling hungry, but also the tendency to choose unhealthy solutions, such as junk food.
One-fifth of teens reported symptoms of depression, while one-third reported problems with overeating.
Järvholm said that, contrary to expectations, adolescents with neuropsychiatric problems had no more problems with overeating and depression than the rest of the group.
Combined, information provided by parents and adolescents revealed that two-thirds of the patients in the study had difficulties arising from neuropsychiatric problems, overeating and / or depression.
The researchers believe that the findings reveal the need for individualized treatment in adolescents with morbid obesity, as the majority of them had mental health problems.
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