A small team of medical researchers and disease management specialists in China has found a link between childhood obesity and adult schizophrenia. In their study published in the journal Science Advances, the group analyzed the health records of people involved in two major genetic studies.

Prior research has shown that childhood obesity can lead to a host of health problems both during childhood and later on in life. The research team wondered if it might also lead to mental health problems.

To find out, they analyzed data gathered by researchers working on the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, a long-term effort aimed at uncovering the genetic underpinnings of psychiatric illnesses. They did the same with data compiled by researchers on the FinnGen partnership, which is also dedicated to the study of genetic diseases.

The team looked for instances of people who were obese as children and whether they developed mental health problems as they grew to adulthood. The mental health problems they searched for included OCD, major depression, anxiety disorders, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. They found no associations between childhood obesity and any mental health problems except for schizophrenia.

The research team describes the evidence linking obesity in childhood and schizophrenia in later life as compelling and direct. They also found that it was independent of obesity in later life or other lifestyle factors. They noted that they were not able to uncover why obesity in childhood might lead to schizophrenia later, but suggested that excess fat might somehow alter the brain as it is still developing.

In another analysis, the researchers were surprised to find that people who were not obese as children but became obese as adults were less likely to develop schizophrenia or OCD.

According to the researchers, the study highlights the importance of preventing obesity in childhood by establishing healthcare policies or programs designed to prevent children from becoming overweight.