The Relationship Between Obesity and Depression Philadelphia PA

Medically speaking, not all overweight people are obese. Obesity is defined as weight that exceeds 15 percent of normal weight for height and body type. "Morbid" obesity exceeds 20 percent of optimum weight. The long-term health implications are well known, in fact, obesity is considered an outright disease. Life expectancy may be decreased in overweight and obese individuals. An obese person is at high risk for a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, varicose veins, psychological stress, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

 Depression has been classified as a mood disorder or "affective" disorder. Mood is defined as a powerful, sustained emotion that, in the extreme, markedly affects a person's perception of the world and ability to adequately function in society. Mood disorders are among the most common health problems doctors see every day. Mood disorders are divided into two major categories: depressive disorders and bipolar disorders.

 A recent article in the journal Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice found that obese people have a higher likelihood of becoming depressed and that those that are depressed may have a higher probability of becoming obese. The researchers studied the co-relational data that appears to link the two conditions. The researchers believe that obese people may be more likely to become depressed because they are usually dissatisfied with their health and appearance. They also believe that depression may lead to certain physiological changes in a person's hormone and immune system that may be the key to the occurrence of obesity. Obesity may also be likely to occur in depressed people because they have more difficulty in taking good care of themselves due to the symptoms and consequences of depression. The researchers recommend that treatment for obesity and depression be integrated instead of trying to treat both conditions separately.¹

¹ Markowitz S, Friedman MA, Arent SM. Understanding the Relation Between Obesity and Depression: Causal Mechanisms and Implications for Treatment. Clin Psychol Sci Prac. 2008;15(1):1-20.