Obesity Statistics

Obesity and Depression ---

Middle-aged women are much more likely to be depressed if they are obese, and vice versa, a new study finds. Rising excess weight goes along with less physical activity, higher calorie intake and depression according to the research.

What is the reason? Depression and obesity likely fuel one another, said lead author Gregory Simon, M.D. When people gain weight, they are more likely to become depressed, and when they get depressed, they have more trouble losing weight, said Simon, a psychiatrist and researcher at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle. In the study, published in the January/February issue of General Hospital Psychiatry, researchers interviewed 4,641 female health-plan enrollees, ages 40 to 65, by phone. The women responded to items on height, weight, exercise levels, dietary habits and body image. They also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, a measure of depression symptoms. Women with clinical depression were more than twice as likely to be obese, defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or more; likewise, obese women were more than twice as likely to be depressed. Read on...

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Comments: We have seen this first hand - a lack of motivation, decreased willpower, loss of ambition, all terms used to directly or indirectly describe or contribute to what makes up depression. One of the best way to get out of depression is through exercise. Getting the blood pumping gets fresh oxygen through the system, moves toxins out, and even stimulates the release of endorphins and enkephalins - substances released within the body that create an opiate-like effect.  This will help make you feel better within no time. Ah, but the question comes about - what if you're depressed to the point of not wanting to move? That may require medical intervention. But if you can do everything and anything you can to just take that first step and go for a walk - just think about walking to the end of the driveway, and when you make it that far, go to the end of the street, then the end of the block. Only think about the next visible goal you can make, and when you feel like you can't go any further, turn around and go back. Approach your walk the same way tomorrow and each day try to go a little further. It's all about taking that first step. This one step at at time plan is how any dieter should approach their goal - your first step may not be the same as someone who is 25 pounds from their goal or who has a higher level of health and fitness. Either way the plan is the same when you're undergoing change: one step at a time.