Perceived Body Weight an Important Risk Factor for Suicide

Researchers writing in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine studied data from over 13,000 adolescents involved in the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to determine how body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) and perceived weight were associated with thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts in adolescents

They found an overall prevalence of self-reported suicidal ideation (i.e., seriously considering suicide in the past 12 months) of 14.2 percent for males and 23.6 percent for females, and a self-reported prevalence of attempting suicide in the past 12 months of 6.2 percent for males and 11.2 percent for females.

When perceived weight was not taken into account, BMI was associated with suicidal ideation, with the odds of suicidal ideation greater among students who were underweight or overweight compared to those of normal weight.

However, after taking into account perceived weight, there was no longer any association between BMI and suicidal ideation — but there was an association between perceived weight and suicidal ideation. Compared to students who perceived themselves as about the right weight, those who saw themselves as very underweight, slightly underweight, slightly overweight, or very overweight had a greater likelihood of suicidal thoughts.

The author’s write “Our results suggest that, regardless of actual BMI, students with extreme perceptions of body size are at increased risk for suicide ideation and suicide attempts”.

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 2005, vol 159(6): 513 – 519. Available at www.archpediatrics.com.

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