According to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (2006; 63(7):824–830), obesity is associated with an increased risk of certain anxiety and mood disorders. This cross-sectional study included 9,125 participants who were evaluated using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. The researchers found that obese individuals had a higher risk of major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. Overall, obesity was associated with a 25% increased risk of these psychiatric conditions. Interestingly, obese participants were found to have a lower risk of substance abuse compared with non-obese subjects.