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• Obese people are more than 5 times likely to develop type 2 diabetes in comparison to people with healthy body weight. ©Shutterstock
If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, you may be at risk of excessive weight gain. This may be due to bad food choices, overeating and a lack of exercise. It could also be due to your medication for your disorders because some psychiatric drugs are known to cause weight gain. But, at the same time, many experts say that it is obesity that causes depression. It can lead to poor self-esteem and social withdrawal. This may cause depression. The truth is that obesity and depression are basically two sides of the same coin. One can result in the other. On this World Obesity Day, let us take a closer look at the association between these two disorders.
There have been reams of research over the years on obesity and depression. Almost all these researches establish a link between the two with some also looking into other health risks that these conditions may bring on. On this World Obesity Day, let's take a look at some of the significant studies that shed light on the subject and arm us up against both.
A research from the Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, says that carrying even ten kilograms of excess body fat significantly raises the risk of depression by 17 per cent. According to researchers, the more fat, the greater is the probability of developing depression. They say that the location of the fat on the body makes no difference to the risk of depression.
Hence, it is the psychological consequences of being obese which lead to the increased risk of depression, and not the direct biological effect of the fat, researchers say and add that, if the opposite was true, fat located centrally on the body would have increased the risk the most, as it has the most damaging effect in biological terms. This study was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.
Another study at VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam says that older adults with symptoms of depression appear more likely to gain abdominal fat, but not overall fat, over a five-year period. According to researchers, about 10 per cent to 15 per cent of older adults have symptoms of depression. They are also more prone become obese.
Researchers say that there are several mechanisms by which depression might increase abdominal fat. Chronic stress and depression may activate certain brain areas and lead to increased levels of the hormone cortisol, which promotes the accumulation of visceral fat. Depressed people may also lead unhealthier lifestyles and follow a poor diet. This could interact with other physiological factors to produce an increase in abdominal obesity. This study was published in JAMA and Archives Journal.
On World Obesity Day, it is important to know the link between depression and obesity. Another research indicates that people who are obese may be more likely to become depressed, and people who are depressed may be more likely to become obese. Obesity can cause depression because obese people experience poor health and are dissatisfied with their appearance. This occurrence was particularly prevalent among women and those of high socio-economic status.
To understand the potential links between obesity and depression, researchers looked at the correlational data that suggest a connection between the conditions and found evidence for causal pathways from obesity to depression and depression to obesity. People who are obese may be more likely to become depressed because they experience themselves as in poor health and are dissatisfied with their appearance. This occurrence was particularly prevalent among women and those of high socio-economic status.
According to researchers, people who are depressed may be more likely to become obese because of physiological changes in their hormone and immune systems that occur in depression. Also, they have more difficulty taking good care of themselves because of symptoms and consequences of depression, such as difficulty adhering to fitness regiments, overeating, and having negative thoughts, they add.
Researchers suggest that exercise and stress reduction can help to manage both obesity and depression at the same time. But dieting, which can worsen mood, and antidepressants, which can cause weight gain, should not be resorted to. They suggest that the treatment of depression and obesity should be integrated. This way, healthcare providers are working together to treat both conditions, rather than each in isolation, they say. This study was published in Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.
Obesity can be due to emotional stress, anxiety and depression. It may also be due to certain medications. Let us take a look at a few causes of obesity on this World Obesity Day.
Stress can cause obesity. If a person is stressed, he or she may turn to food for comfort. Usually, at such times, a person turns to junk food and makes unhealthy food choices. This, in turn, cause weight gain and obesity.
What you can do: Try to avoid stress. You can try some relaxation techniques like meditation and music. Yoga is also known to reduce stress. But each person is different. You have to identify what suits you best.
Certain medication and treatment procedures can lead to excessive weight gain. This is especially true for psychiatric medications and some cancer treatments. Anti-depressants an anti-anxiety drugs are known culprits. Sometimes, weight-management treatments an also cause obesity by making a person overeat. This happens because of a feeling of deprivation while the treatment was going on.
What you can do: Reach out to your doctor. He will be the best person to guide you here. If you are on any psychiatric drugs, ask your doctor if he can change the medicines to another that does not have this side-effect. Otherwise, you can take matters into your own hands and eat better and be more active. This will go a long way to help you reduce weight.
Health disorders like hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, Cushing syndrome and insomnia can also cause obesity by disrupting your hormones and metabolic system. Another disorder that can make you obese is congestive heart failure, which leads to the accumulation of fluids in the body.
What you can do: You must consult a doctor and get your underlying health condition treated immediately. Otherwise, you may be at risk of other complication which may even lead to death. Also, on this World Obesity Day, take a pledge to live a healthier life.