Treatment for these two conditions is typically multifaceted, involving medications, certain lifestyle changes, and therapy. If you have obesity, depression, or both, talk with a healthcare professional to find a management plan that works for you.
Read on to learn more about obesity and depression.
Can obesity contribute to depression?
A 2020 research review suggested that obesity may be a risk factor for depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2014, adults in the United States who received a depression diagnosis were more likely to have obesity than those without depression.
Obesity may contribute to depression in a few ways:
- Inflammation: Factors such as psychological stress and metabolism health concerns in obesity may increase inflammation, which may worsen depressive symptoms.
- Less regular physical activity: Obesity may link to getting less physical activity regularly. Regular physical activity can help your body produce chemicals called endorphins, which can lead to positive feelings and may help improve your outlook and mood.
- Physical health conditions: Obesity may lead to other health conditions that may be risk factors for depression, such as diabetes.
Learn more about 12 lifestyle factors that may contribute to obesity.
Can depression contribute to obesity?
The same 2020 review showed that depression can be a risk factor for obesity. Depression may contribute to obesity in several ways:
- Appetite or eating habit changes: For some people, depression may cause an increase in appetite or disordered eating patterns, which can contribute to rapid weight gain. Over time, this weight gain may eventually lead to obesity.
- Activity level changes: Depression may affect your energy and activity levels. This could mean you may get less physical activity regularly, which may contribute to unintentional weight gain and obesity.
- Medication side effects: Unintentional weight gain is a possible side effect of many antidepressant medications, including:
- tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil)
- monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as isocarboxazid (Marplan)
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as citalopram (Celexa)
- atypical antidepressants, such as bupropion (Wellbutrin)
People can respond to antidepressant medication differently. Be sure to let a doctor know about the side effects you experience. Under their supervision, you may need to try a few medications to find one that works best for you.
Learn more about 8 ways depression is dangerous for your health.
How can you manage obesity and depression?
Managing two conditions may seem daunting, but a holistic approach that addresses your physical and emotional well-being can help streamline your efforts. A doctor may recommend certain measures:
- Consider reducing stress: According to researchers, stress may link to obesity and depression. Finding ways to manage stress that work for you may relieve these conditions.
- Try maintaining a moderate weight: Maintaining a moderate weight not only has wide-ranging physical benefits but may also ease depression symptoms. A healthcare professional can help you develop manageable eating and physical activity plans. Treatment options like obesity medication or bariatric surgery may be beneficial if other weight management methods are ineffective for you.
- Aim for regular physical activity: Regular physical activity may boost your mood and help you maintain a moderate weight. Talk with a doctor or an exercise professional to find safe and enjoyable ways to increase your physical activity levels.
- Be patient: Finding effective ways to manage obesity and depression may take some time. Be patient with yourself and work with a doctor to manage these conditions.
- Talk with a mental health professional: A counselor or therapist can help you identify what contributes to your weight gain or depression symptoms and how they may link to each other.
- Monitor side effects: Though maintaining a moderate weight and improving your mood may be your goal, it’s important to know that antidepressants may cause unintentional weight gain, and crash dieting may worsen depression symptoms. Talk with a healthcare professional about engaging in sustainable weight loss and having a treatment plan you can ease into with minimal side effects.
Learn more about medical options for weight loss and treatment options for depression.
Although studies often suggest that obesity is a risk factor for certain health conditions, they rarely account for the role weight stigma and discrimination play in health. Discrimination is one of the social determinants of health — the conditions in daily life that affect our health — and it can and does contribute to health inequities.
Weight discrimination in healthcare can prevent people at high body weights from seeking medical care — and those who do may not receive accurate diagnoses or treatment, because doctors may attribute their health concerns solely to their weight.
As a result, any health condition a person may have may be more advanced by the time they receive a diagnosis.
Meanwhile, experiences of weight stigma in daily life, even outside of medical settings, are associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes.
Everyone deserves appropriate and compassionate healthcare. For resources, including a growing directory of weight-inclusive health professionals, you may want to follow the work of the Association for Size Diversity and Health.
Obesity and depression can influence each other in many ways, and treating one may help relieve the other’s symptoms. Talk with a healthcare professional about managing obesity and depression.