Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Depression

• Introduction
• Depression
• Obesity
• Causation or Association?
• Possible explanations
  • Depression resulting in obesity?
  • Obesity resulting in depression?
  • Side effects of treatments
  • The role of leptin
  • Physical inactivity
  • Confounders
• Implications for treatment and preventative strategies

 

Obesity and depression are linked. Many hypotheses have been put forward to explain the relationship existing between these two complex conditions.

suicide to reflect depression are subject to bias due to the variety of conditions that may lead to suicide, such as obesity, gender or circumstance.

Body Mass Index (BMI), which compares a person’s weight and height. A BMI greater than 30kg/m² indicates obesity, while a BMI between 25-30kg/m² signals overweight. World obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, so much so that the phrase “obesity epidemic†has become common. In Australia, the 1999-2000 Australian Diabetes Obesity and Lifestyle Study found that 60% of Australians over 25 years were overweight, and 21% of those were obese. Obesity leads to conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, resulting in a lower life expectancy.

comfort eating may result from depression, which is also associated with increased alcohol unhealthy food consumption.

folic acid, are associated with depression. Social stigma associated with obesity may lead to depression later in life, especially in young women. This may be emphasised in social groups in which there are lower rates of obesity.

gastric bypass surgery may improve an individual’s mood.

behavioural therapies. These programs encourage changes in behaviour to help an individual maintain long term weight loss.

For example, meal replacement programs that include referrals to health professionals (e.g. dietitians and psychologists) will be more effective than other programs based solely on diet. For the morbidly obese, the benefits of surgery (e.g. gastric banding) may be aided by regular psychological assessment and therapy. Pharmacological treatment with Xenical or Reductil should also include regular support and counselling to ensure weight loss is maintained.

More information 

For more information on obesity, health and social issues, and methods of weight loss, as well as some useful tools, see Obesity and Weight Loss.

For more information on living with obesity, including discussing obesity with friends or loved ones, bullying and obesity in children, obesity and its cost on the workplace and links between obesity and pain, sexuality and fertility, see Living with Obesity.

 

Reference

1. Herva A, Laitinen J et al. Obesity and depression:results from the logitudinal Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study International Journal of Obesity 2006 30:S20-S27
2. “depression n.” A Dictionary of Psychology. Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. University of Western Australia. 27 February 2008
3. Bjerkeset O, Romundstad P et al. Association of Adult Body Mass Index and Height with Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide in the General Population The HUNT Study. American Journal of Epidemiology 2007; 167; 2: 193-202
4. “obesity n.” Concise Medical Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2007. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. University of Western Australia. 27 February 2008
5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Overweight and Obesity [online]. 2004 [cited 2008 February 27]. Available from: URL: http://www.aihw.gov.au/riskfactors/overweight.cfm
6. Stunkard AJ, Faith MS and Allison KC. Depression and Obesity. Biol Psychiatry 2003; 54: 330-337
7. Faith MS, Matz, PE and Jorge MA. Obesity-depression associations in the population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2002 53: 935-942
8. Simon GE, Von Korff M et al. Association between obesity and psychiatric disorders in the US adult population. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006 63:824-830
9. Lu XY The leptin hypothesis of depression: a potential link between mood disorders and obesity? Current Opinion in Pharmacology 2007; 7:648-652
10. NHMRC, Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, Commonwealth of Australia 2003. Available [online] at URL: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/Publishing.nsf/Content/obesityguidelines-guidelines-adults.htm/$FILE/adults.pdf
11. Victorian Government (Australia), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Victorian Government Last Updated: June 2007. Available [online] at URL: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cognitive_behaviour_therapy?open

Related Lifestyles:

• Obesity and its Cost on the Workforce
• Obesity and Sexuality
• Obesity and Pain

Related Treatments:

• An Introduction to Obesity Treatments
• Bariatric Surgery (Surgery for Weight Loss)
• Cognitive behavioural therapy for weight loss (CBT)
• Lifestyle Changes for Obesity and Weight Loss
• Weight Loss Drugs

Related Diseases:

• Obesity
• Depression (Clinical depression)

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Article Dates:

Modified: 27/1/2011

Created: 28/2/2008

Obesity and Depression