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Lessons from obesity prevention for the prevention of mental disorders: The primordial prevention approach

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journal contribution
posted on 2014-09-10, 00:00 authored by Josh HaywardJosh Hayward, Felice JackaFelice Jacka, E Waters, Steven AllenderSteven Allender
Background: Emerging evidence supports a relationship between risk factors for obesity and the genesis of the common mental disorders, depression and anxiety. This suggests common mental disorders should be considered as a form of non-communicable disease, preventable through the modification of lifestyle behaviours, particularly diet and physical activity.Discussion: Obesity prevention research since the 1970's represents a considerable body of knowledge regarding strategies to modify diet and physical activity and so there may be clear lessons from obesity prevention that apply to the prevention of mental disorders. For obesity, as for common mental disorders, adolescence represents a key period of vulnerability. In this paper we briefly discuss relationships between modifiable lifestyle risk factors and mental health, lifestyle risk factor interventions in obesity prevention research, the current state of mental health prevention, and the implications of current applications of systems thinking in obesity prevention research for lifestyle interventions.Summary: We propose a potential focus for future mental health promotion interventions and emphasise the importance of lessons available from other lifestyle modification intervention programmes.

History

Journal

BMC Psychiatry

Volume

14

Article number

254

Pagination

1-4

Location

London, England

Open access

  • Yes

eISSN

1471-244X

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal, C Journal article

Copyright notice

2014, Biomed Central

Issue

1

Publisher

BioMed Central