Obesity And Depression Linked In New U.S. Health Officials Study

Obesity and Depression are often found linked together in patients according to a new study released by U.S. health officials.

The report found that 43 percent of depressed adults were also obese. That relationship between Obesity and Depression was even more prevalent among those taking antidepressants. The study discoger that 55 percent of patients taking antidepressants also report as obese.

Study author Laura Pratt, an epidemiologist at the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, has not been able to explain why Obesity and Depression are so closely related to one another. “We are just describing the relationship, but we don’t have anything in our data that would help us answer the why question,” she said.

The study did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, but did expose the fact that people become increasingly depressed as they pack on more weight.

The study also examined gender and race to find that women suffering from depression were more likely to be obese than women who were not depressed. Researchers also found that white women were more likely to suffer from depression than white women of normal weight. Researchers did not notice the same correlation between black and Mexican-American women.

Researchers note that Obesity affects many aspects of life including stress levels, social interactions, and basic exercise which releases chemicals that make us feel more upbeat and happy.

Previous studies have also found correlations between people who eat unhealthy diets and increased depression.

It should be noted that some of the patients who were obese and taking drugs such as Paxil and Wellbutrin, may have gained their excess weight because of side effects related to those antidepressants.

Researchers suggest a healthy diet, increased exercise, and more social interactions, as a means to reduce the feelings of depression that some people may feel while suffering from obesity.

You can read the full report in the October 16, 2014 report titled, Depression and Obesity in the U.S. Adult Household Population, 2005-2010.

Do you think there is a direct link or a strong correlation between Obesity and Depression?