260. A 1H-MRSI hippocampal study in bipolar patients with a history of alcohol abuse

tion body mass index (BMI) categories: underweight 5 BMI , 18.5, normal weight 5 18.5–24.9, overweight 5 25.0–29.9, class I obese 5 30.0–34.9, class II obese 5 35.0–39.9, class III obese .39.9. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were gauged by respondents’ reports of the number of days in the last 30 days in which they felt sad, blue, or depressed or worried, tense, or anxious, respectively. Overall, 52% of respondents were overweight or obese and 2.5% were underweight. Overweight or obesity were more prevalent among men than women (61.3% vs. 44%) and among American Indians/Alaskan Natives and blacks (59.7%, 63.6%) than among Asians/Pacific Islanders and whites (30.0%, 51.6%). A J-shaped function generally characterized the relationship between BMI and mean number of days depressed or anxious. Underweight and obese respondents reported a greater mean number of days during which they felt depressed or anxious than those with normal BMIs or who were moderately overweight. The association between anxiety and depressive symptoms and obesity was more pronounced among women than men. These findings suggest that among obese individuals, a dose-response relationship exists between BMI and the probability of anxious and depressive symptomatology.