Depression May Lead to Obesity
Updated on July 28, 2007
Depression may lead to obesity for some people. It could be simply biochemical or it could be psychological, but it's probably a combination of both.
Depression Reduces Physical Activity
It's rare to find somebody stuck in depression who has lots of energy. Most people in depression feel sleepy or exhausted. When you're depressed, sometimes you feel like you just can't do the simplest of tasks. You often feel drained.
Imagine doing physical work all day and staying awake all night. Imagine how exhausted you would feel. Now imagine feeling that way every day. This is how the fatigue of depression feels. You're physically worn, and all you want to do is rest. You can't get interested in anything. Your brain doesn't function normally, and you can't do simple problem solving. Physically, if you did exercise, you'd probably hurt yourself from lack of focus. You keep telling yourself that as soon as you get rested up, you'll start worrying about other things. the problem is that you never do seem to get enough rest. You could sleep for days and still feel like you need a few more hours to feel normal.
The last thing you want to think about is exercise. You can't even comprehend why you would want to take an aerobics class or go jogging. Even stretching seems like too much work, and going for a walk makes you feel like a zombie stumbling through your neighborhood.
Depression Increases Eating
For some people, depression will trigger emotional eating. It feels good to enjoy that cinnamon bun, especially since you haven't been able to enjoy anything else. It's nice to be able to enjoy something, and it's as easy as taking a bite.
For some people, the fatigue stimulates eating because at some instinctual level, you believe that if you eat, you'll have more energy.
Your body may also be craving foods that increase serotonin or dopamine levels (depending on what your body needs). Some foods stimulate serotonin production while others stimulate dopamine production. Satisfying these cravings by eating things that are sugary or contain caffeine can lead to a vicious cycle of highs and lows, which cause you to eat even more.
Treating Depression to Help You Lose Weight
If you suffer from depression, losing weight is probably on your list of to-do items, but it probably isn't very high on your list of priorities. Right now, it shouldn't be. You need to deal with the depression first.
Visit Managing Emotions to learn more about treating your depression.
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