The ‘heavy’ burden of stress: psychological distress and body adiposity in patients attending weight management clinic

Obesity is increasingly recognised as a complex neurobehavioural disease. While the link between depression and body mass index (BMI) is well-documented, BMI often fails to capture body composition nuances. The relationship between psychological distress and actual total body fat percentage, which is a more direct biomarker of metabolic risk, remains under- explored in clinical populations. We aim to explore the relationship between psychological distress and total body adiposity in patients attending a university-based weight management clinic.