Depressive symptoms, cynical hostility, and weight change: A 3-year follow-up among middle-aged men and women

In this article we examine, in a 3-year follow-up, whether depressive symptoms and cynical hostility predict weight change. A cardiovascular risk factor survey was carried out for a stratified random sample of a population aged between 45 to 64 years in 1992. A follow-up survey was conducted three years later for 119 male and 166 female participants of the baseline survey. Using similar methodology, body mass index (BMI), depression (Beck depression inventory), cynical hostility (cynical distrust scale), and several health-related factors were measured in both surveys. Higher depression scores at the baseline predicted both weight gain (> 2 BMI units) and weight loss (> I BMI unit) during the follow-up. Cynical hostility did not predict weight change. An increase in depression scores predicted weight loss. Women with depressive symptoms in the least educated group lost weight, and women with depressive symptoms in the most educated group gained weight. These results emphasize the assessment of depressive symptoms in a normal population that is interested in losing weight or preventing obesity.