# Nutrition Patterns, Metabolic and Psychological State Among High-Weight Young Adults: A Network Approach

## TL;DR

This study explores how nutrition, stress, and health are connected in young adults with overweight or obesity, finding that stress is a central factor linking metabolic and psychological issues.

## Contribution

The study uses network analysis to identify stress as a central node linking metabolic and psychological factors in overweight young adults.

## Key findings

- Stress level was identified as the most central variable in the network, acting as a bridge node.
- Three clusters emerged: metabolic indicators (insulin, glucose), lipid markers (cholesterol, triacylglycerol), and a cluster including sociodemographics, psychological state, and hypertension.
- Nutrition patterns involving vitamin and mineral consumption and hypertension were highlighted as important features in the network.

## Abstract

Background and Objectives: Studies suggest that overweight and obesity are major risk factors for various metabolic and psychological disorders, and that a better understanding of the interactions between these factors may lead to more effective intervention strategies. The main aim of this study is to examine the structure of interrelationships among sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional patterns (NP), metabolic indicators, and psychopathological measures using network analysis in a sample of young university students with overweight and obesity, and to identify the most central variables and their empirical groupings. Methods: N = 188 overweight/obese young adults participated, university students, men and women, aged 18 to 25 years. Results: The variable with the highest centrality (relevance and connectivity capacity) was stress level, identified as the bridge node. Two other important features were an NP characterized by vitamin and mineral consumption, and the presence of arterial hypertension (HTN). Three clusters of nodes emerged, grouping: (a) insulin, glucose and Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR index); (b) cholesterol and triacylglycerol; and (c) sociodemographic profile, psychological state, BMI and HTN. Conclusions: The results highlight stress levels as a central factor influencing the metabolic and mental health of overweight/obese young adults. Interventions aimed at reducing stress and improving nutrition patterns are crucial for improving the overall wellbeing of these individuals.