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.
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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.
