Summary

Objective
This study aimed to examine the prospective association between psychological well‐being and overweight and obesity reversal.

Methods
We analyzed data of UK children with overweight or obesity at ages 11 (n  = 4556, baseline), 14 (n = 3791, baseline), and 17 years (follow‐up). Psychological well‐being‐related measures were characterized into indexes of caregiver‐reported child mental health and child‐reported psychosocial well‐being, with a higher score indicating better mental health or psychosocial well‐being. Weight changes were presented as reversal versus persistence of overweight or obesity and residualized‐change BMI z scores. Data were analyzed using regression analysis.

Results
Better child mental health and psychosocial well‐being at age 11 years were independently associated with increased odds of reversal versus persistence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.29; OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.44, respectively) and decreased BMI z scores (β = −0.08, 95% CI: −0.13 to −0.03; β = −0.07, 95% CI: −0.11 to −0.03, respectively) at age 17 years. However, neither of the indexes was associated with weight changes when measured at age 14 years. Analyses between psychological well‐being‐related measures and timing of measures indicated that psychological well‐being‐related measures were more likely to prospectively predict weight changes when measured at age 11 versus age 14 years.

Conclusions
Better psychological well‐being at age 11 years is a prognostic factor that may be associated with an increased likelihood of reversing childhood overweight and obesity by age 17 years.