Mental disorders in obese patients with and without metabolic syndrome

The authors sought to evaluate lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in patients affected by metabolic syndrome compared with patients affected by central obesity alone.

One hundred eighty-six (63.5%) patients affected by central obesity and 107 (36.5%) affected by metabolic syndrome according to ICF criteria were interviewed by means of SCID I and SCID II.

Axis I and axis II lifetime prevalence were respectively 53.8% and 30.1% among patients with central obesity, 50.5% and 28% among patients with metabolic syndrome, differences which were not significant. No statistically significant differences were found between groups as far as each single axis I and II diagnostic category was considered.

Metabolic syndrome is not associated with a higher risk of mental disorders compared to central obesity alone.