Depression and Weight Gain

Relationship between Diet and Depression

No one knows for sure if poor diet is one of the leading causes of depression or conversely if depression leads to poor diet. There is no conclusive evidence to prove the case one way of the other, but a direct link between depression and diet has been medically proven. There is also no way of telling if depression will bring with it weight loss or weight gain. It is believed that 60-65% of those suffering from depression will experience weight loss, yet depression and obesity go hand in hand. Depression and obesity together have become a major health problem on a global scale.

Types of Depression

There are a multitude of different types of depression. There are clinical depressions, atypical depressions, mood swings, manic depressions, bi-polar depressions and Major Depressive Disorder, just to name a few. Depression is a very serious and seriously complex condition that must be treated with a great deal of respect. Seek immediate medical treatment for any kind of depression. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to self diagnose depression as you need medical professionals for that. If you are experiencing a sadness that is present most of the day for more than 2 weeks at a time, have lost interest and pleasure in the world around you, gain or lose more than 5% of your total body weight, lack energy and feel tired all the time, can’t sleep, have trouble concentrating, have thoughts of suicide, feel anxious, agitated or restless then you may very well be suffering from a depression. With the presence of two or more of any of these symptoms, it is time to see a physician for both relief and help in getting to the underlying cause of this medical condition.

Depression and Weight Gain

Weight gain associated with depression has much deeper roots than lack of exercise or poor eating habits. Emotional eating, more prevalent among women than men, is common in depressives to suppress negative emotions such as frustration and anger or a sense of hopelessness. Then there is the comfort aspect of food. When depressed there is a tendency to start eating more carbohydrates in an attempt to elevate moods. Alcohol and sweets, two of the worst offenders, are often used to relieve the symptoms of depression, usually with the opposite effect resulting than was intended. Low self esteem is a huge negating factor in weight gain; now just think of the impact of that on the individual already in a fragile mental and emotional state. It is a matter of record that people who feel vulnerable, such as one in a depressed state or victims of physical assaults, will deliberately (if not consciously) pack on extra pounds as a layer of protection or security blanket between how they feel on the inside and the outside world.

Depression - Diagnosis and Treatment

The diagnoses of and treatment for depression must be done by professionals. There are effective treatments readily available. These treatments range the gamut from the use of antidepressant medications (used in approximately 75% of depressed patients) to light therapy, mental health therapy, depression diet therapy, intensive live-in residential health programs and in extreme cases, hospitalization. The effectiveness of any treatment will depend entirely on the root cause of the disorder and your metabolic body type, both of which should be determined by a doctor, preferably a psychiatrist.

If you are feeling depressed there is no need to suffer or disappear; you are not alone as help is always only a phone call away. The worst things you can do are to try and out wait your bad feelings thinking they will pass, or try to deal with this health issue by yourself. You will need the right kind of help as your very life may depend upon it. Suicide has taken many a good person prematurely but it does not have to be this way. Please, if you are suffering from depression, call a doctor now.

For more information about depression visit the National Institute of Mental Health.