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Abstract
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For female teenagers, suicidal ideation and attempts were more common in those who were heavier (that is, had lower BMI scores). Male teenagers did not show these associations.
While various risk factors for suicide have been examined, the relationship between weight and suicidality is less often explored. Lester (1981), examining Sheldon's concepts of endomorphy, ectomorphy and mesomorphy, found that nations with thinner children were likely to have higher suicide rates. This indicated that ectomorphy (the thinnest body-type) was associated with suicidal behavior, a claim made by Sheldon (1942). Lester (1987) went on to compare ectomorphy ratios to various characteristics of completed suicides, finding that ectomorphy scores were related to method of suicide (thinner men were more likely to use suffocation).
Eaton, Lowry, Brener, Galuska, and Crosby (2005) examined a large sample of 9-12th graders comparing their BMI and perceived weight with their past year suicide ideation and suicide attempt. They found that BMI was not significantly associated with either suicidal ideation or behavior when perceived weight was added to the model. They concluded that how adolescents perceive their body weight may be more predictive of suicidality than BMI alone. Stack and Lester (2007) examined the relationship between BMI and completed suicide. They found that women with higher BMI scores (i.e. thinner women), were at greater suicide risk. However, this finding did not hold up when controlling for sociodemographic variables.
Mukamal, Kawachi, Miller, and Rimm (2007) examined the relationship between BMI and suicide among a large sample of men followed over time. They found that men with higher BMI scores (i.e., heavier men) were at less risk of suicide than were men with lower BMI scores (i.e., thinner men). Bjerkeset, Romundstad, Evans, and Gunnell (2007) compared the relationship between BMI and height with anxiety, depression, and suicide. They found that higher BMI scores and greater height was associated with lower risk of suicide. Interestingly, they also found that depression increased as BMI increased. This indicates that the lowered risk of suicide among those with higher BMI is not due to a relationship between BMI and psychopathology. Magnusson, Rasmussen, Lawlor, Tynelius, and Gunnell (2006) further examined the relationship between BMI and suicide in a large sample of males. They found that risk of suicide decreased as BMI increased, indicating that heavier males were less likely to die by suicide than thinner males.
Research into BMI, ectomorphy, and their connection to suicidal behavior has had mixed results. Some findings have indicated that there is a decrease in risk for suicide stemming from elevated BMI, while others have found this relationship to disappear when considering sociodemographic factors or perceived weight. This paper examines the relationship between BMI and ectomorphy among a large national sample of adolescents...
Language: en |