The Connection Between Depression And Obesity In The US

The correlation between obesity and depression is complicated and sometimes viewed as inconsistent by the scientific community. There is little disagreement however about the two major causes of obesity in the Unites States today which are eating too much and taking insufficient exercise. One major problem when it comes to depression however is that it is easy to see depression as leading to comfort eating and a lifestyle which encourages obesity while, at the same time, seeing that someone suffering from obesity would become depressed.

Despite the fact that it is difficult to establish a link between obesity and depression, simply because there are so many forms of depression, one study between 2005 and 2006 did conclude that there was a link between obesity in women and depression. This however does not really tell us very much and certainly is a long way from being a firm link between these two conditions.

There are a great many problems which these two disorders together bring to us as a society. Depression is a disease that is typically treated with drugs and means that its victims will be dependent on these medications perhaps for years. The economic impact is significant when you take into consideration that Americans are spending billions of dollars annually on antidepressants. The cost of obesity is almost enormous and this of course is not simply in terms of the cost of such things as weight loss surgery and follow-up medical treatment following surgery.

Putting aside the cost of these two disorders for a moment, it is clear that this powerful combination of conditions is going to impact us very considerably. But, just what is this going to mean for each of us personally a few years down the road.

Surely with millions of Americans fitting well into the category of being obese and millions of others already being diagnosed as clinically depressed, everyone knows someone who is either obese or suffering from some type of depression. But it doesn't stop there because the problem clearly fans out to touch the lives of family, friends and work colleagues of those with one or other of the conditions. Depression can lead to suicide, as well as a whole slew of side effects from the very medicine that patients take to treat the illness. How do we cope with the domino effect of these two disorders?

Doctors and health experts opinions vary widely and of course it is ultimately up to the individual to decide whether or not to take advantage of the prevention and treatment methods available to them. Despite this, the combined effects of obesity and depression will lead us into real trouble if we are not careful. As a society therefore we must come up with a plan to deal with these conditions before they swamp us.

Check out our growing selection of obesity articles dealing with such matters as the relationship between obesity and fast food and problems with obesity.