Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Linking Obesity and Depression
Does depression lead to poor health … or is it the other way around? Recent research explores the relationship between obesity and mood disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.
Depression clearly has a harmful effect on physical health, although the biological reasons for the link between body and mind are unclear. It may be that depression affects health because people develop a fatalistic attitude and stop taking care of themselves.
Whatever the reasons, over the past 20 years, it has become clear that depression after a heart attack is much more than an “understandable emotional reaction” to a stressful, life-changing event -- it is profoundly dangerous, raising a person’s chances of having a second, fatal heart attack. Depression also makes chronic illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, back problems, and asthma worse, leading to more work absences, disability, and doctor visits.
- Recently an interesting study reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Volume 63, page 824) indicates that being obese is associated with about a 25% increased risk of major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia (a fear of being in public places).
In-person interviews were conducted with 9,152 people nationwide. The interviews included an assessment of a range of mental disorders and self-reports of height and weight. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. The lifetime risk of mood disorders was 18.3% among people with a BMI below 30 and 22% among people with a BMI of 30 or above. Men and women were equally affected, despite the fact that previous research suggested the link existed only in women. The risk was greatest for non-Hispanic white people and college graduates.
In contrast, substanceuse disorders were 25% less likely to affect obese people. The results of this study do not mean that obesity causes mood disorders, such as depression or that mood disorders cause obesity, but there is clearly an association between the two conditions. It’s possible that causality may be proven in the future. After all, increased appetite and weight gain are common symptoms of depression, and the stresses associated with obesity may lead to depression.
Posted in Depression and Anxiety on May 14, 2008
Reviewed September 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
Notify Me
Would you like us to inform you when we post new Depression and Anxiety Health Alerts?
Comments
Health Alerts registered users may post comments and share experiences here at their own discretion. We regret that questions on individual health concerns to the Johns Hopkins editors cannot be answered in this space.
The views expressed here do not constitute medical advice, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or Remedy Health Media, LLC, which has no responsibility for any comments posted on this site.
Post a Comment
Already a subscriber?
Login
New to Johns Hopkins Health Alerts?
