Depression is an illness that causes persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, hopelessness and failure. Many people do not even realize that they suffer from depression. Others who are aware of their condition , often do not tell their families or seek treatment because they are embarrassed or awkward. Depression has been linked to heart disease , osteoporosis , diabetes and cancer. Many now believe that depression can also be a contributing factor to obesity.
In the world of research on the relationship between depression and obesity is a paradox. On the one hand you have the researchers argue that people who are obese are depressed because obesity leads to having a poor self image and low self-esteem , leading to social isolation. Obese people are often stereotyped , bullied, criticized and discriminated against , which reinforces the negative image they already have themselves. Obesity also causes heart disease , hypertension and diabetes. All researchers have linked to depression .
The other view is that people who are depressed have a higher risk of becoming obese . Researchers supporting this theory argue that chemical imbalances , mainly hormones cortisol and serotonin in the brain, are what lead to obesity. Cortisol is a hormone that stimulates the appetite , the production of glucose and fat storage . It is produced by the brain in times of stress . For a person who is under constant stress , it's like a flood gate opened. Cortisol keep pouring into the body, causing the person to have the desire to eat and the food is stored as fat .
We also found that people who suffer from depression have a decreased amount of the hormone serotonin in the brain. Serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter ( messenger ) in the brain . Has an influence on the psychological and bodily functions (ie , mood , the desire / sexual function , appetite , sleep , memory / learning, temperature regulation , and social behavior ) . In an attempt to restore serotonin levels to normal , people eat too much knowledge .
It is possible that these two answers are correct. Obesity and depression share many other factors and treatments for common risk in the form of changes in lifestyle. The risk factors for both include:
- Poor diet / exercise
- predisposed by family history
- problems on stress , emotions , boredom
- health problems - cancer , diabetes , heart disease , sleep problems
- low self- esteem, self-deprecating , pessimistic
- regular exercise
- eat well
- 9.7 hours of sleep
- find social support
- stress reduction
Research is beginning to show that obese people who undergo treatment for depression are more likely to change their way of life , resulting in improved weight. The same can be found in people who undergo treatments such as bariatric surgery to treat obesity. These people experience reduction in their symptoms of depression.
One thing is certain , researchers continue to look for the relationship between depression and obesity. Until a definitive link is found, people with these conditions and undergo treatment recommended by a doctor.
No comments:
Post a Comment