IS MENTAL HEALTH LINKED TO WEIGHT GAIN?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 18.1 percent of U.S. adults experienced a mental illness in the past year, as of 2014. Unfortunately, mental illness can have a negative impact on your physical health. It can even cause you to struggle with your weight.

DEPRESSION’S LINK TO OBESITY

Depression, a mental disorder characterized by feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, and sometimes thoughts of suicide, has been linked to obesity. Individuals who suffer from depression may experience appetite changes, alterations in their sleeping habits, and a loss of interest in activities they once found enjoyable. Weight changes may also be a symptom of depression. In a review of 16 different studies, researchers for a 2008 edition of the Journal of Health Psychology found that people with depression were significantly more likely to become obese than individuals without depression.

In a study of adult patients with depression, researchers for a 2014 publication of

“Nutrition Journal” found that 72 percent of participants were overweight or obese, and those who had been depressed longer had higher weights and body fat percentages. The link between depression and weight gain seems to be stronger among women. In a long-term study of both men and women, researchers for a 2012 edition of “Psychological Medicine” found women who experienced depression had more weight gain during the course of their adult lives than did men.

Stress May Equal Added Pounds

If the stress in your life has become unmanageable, you may find the number on the scale is getting bigger. A 2014 study in the journal “Obesity” found people who experienced three or more life stressors gained more weight during a five-year period than people who experienced no stressful life events. People with multiple stressors were at a higher risk of gaining weight during the course of the study. The relationship between stress and weight gain might be explained by changes in the brain’s response to food.

Researchers for a 2013 study in “Physiology & Behavior” found women with high levels of chronic stress showed increased responses to high-calorie foods in areas of the brain associated with reward and motivation. When women with high levels of chronic stress were presented with a snack buffet, they consumed more high-calorie foods. Post-traumatic stress disorder, a more serious stressor-related mental illness, involves hypervigilance, nightmares, and unpleasant flashbacks following a traumatic event. This disorder has also been linked to changes in eating habits. Researchers for a 2013 edition of the “Journal of Traumatic Stress” found individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder were more likely to engage in emotional eating than individuals without the disorder. Those with more severe symptoms were also more likely to experience emotional eating. Study authors concluded this could lead to weight gain over time.

Bipolar Disorder And Weight Gain

Patients with bipolar disorder cycle between periods of depression and mania. During depressive states, patients experience sadness and low energy levels. They may also think of suicide. During manic states, patients with the disorder experience extreme happiness and excitement, and they also have increased energy. When manic, they may engage in risky behaviors, such as having unprotected sex and spending large sums of money. Unfortunately, patients with bipolar disorder may also find themselves gaining weight. In 2009, scientists for the journal “Psychiatry Research” analyzed eating behaviors among patients with bipolar disorder and found that 18 percent of them met criteria for binge eating disorder, whereas no subjects in a control group met these criteria. Compared to those in the control group, patients with bipolar disorder had significantly higher body mass indexes and waist circumferences.

A 2015 study in the “Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry” analyzed eating patterns among individuals with bipolar disorder. Study results showed that individuals with bipolar disorder struggled with feelings of hunger and difficulty with healthy eating. The authors concluded these eating patterns may explain the high rates of obesity associated with bipolar disorder.

Because bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses are associated with obesity and weight gain, it is vital that you and your doctor discuss any concerns involving your mental health.

If you feel you are struggling with a mental health condition, your doctor can recommend an appropriate course of treatment, such as counseling or medication, and the two of you can work together to monitor your eating and exercise habits to ensure you maintain a healthy weight.

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