Emotional states of different obesity phenotypes: a sex-specific study in a west-Asian population

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the associations of obesity phenotypes with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among adults in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). METHODS: Depression, anxiety, and stress levels of participants from the TLGS were examined among different obesity phenotypes in this cross-sectional study. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m(2), and metabolically unhealthy status based on having metabolic syndrome (MetS) or type 2 diabetes. Four obesity phenotypes were defined: 1) Metabolically Healthy Non-Obese (MHNO), 2) Metabolically Healthy Obese (MHO) 3) Metabolically Unhealthy Non-Obese (MUNO), and 4) Metabolically Unhealthy Obese (MUO). Emotional states of different obesity phenotypes were assessed by the Persian version of depression, anxiety, and stress scale-21 items (DASS-21). Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to compare sex-specific odds ratios of depression, anxiety, and stress in different obesity phenotypes. RESULTS: The mean age of 2469 men and women was 46.2 ± 15.9 and 45.6 ± 14.7, respectively. In total, women were more likely to experience higher levels of depression (30.5%), anxiety (44.2%), and stress (43.5%) symptoms compared to men. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared to MHNO men, the odds of experiencing higher anxiety levels were significantly greater in metabolically unhealthy men whether they were obese (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.25–2.54; P = < 0.001) or non-obese (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.17–2.21; P = < 0.001), and also in MUO women (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.28–2.34; P = < 0.001) compared to MHNO women. Moreover, the odds of experiencing higher stress levels were significantly greater in MUNO men (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02–1.90; P = 0.04) compared to MHNO men and in MUO women (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.07–1.96; P = 0.02) compared to MHNO women. No difference in depression levels was observed in either sex. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that men and women with various obesity phenotypes experienced different anxiety and stress levels. While MUO women and all metabolically unhealthy men experienced more anxiety and stress levels than MHNO individuals, none of the obesity phenotypes were associated with depression. These findings provide insight into recognizing the psychological consequences of different phenotypes of obesity in both sexes and utilizing future health promotion planning. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-021-03131-3.