obesity and depression
Obesity or depression, both separately, crushes the patient and destroys both his psychological and physical life. When obesity and depression combine, it gets worse, and a friend or relative must intervene to help the patient get rid of them quickly before it is too late.
Here we will talk about obesity and its relationship to depression and how to treat them together.
But first, we're going to talk about: Is obesity related to depression?
Studies have shown that depression increases in obese people by 20%. It also shows that women are more likely to suffer from a closed circuit of obesity and depression.
Many studies emphasize the increase in the incidence of obese people first, followed by depressed people, and there are also studies indicating that the patients become depressed first, followed by obesity and rapid increase in weight.
It is therefore more like an endless closed circle. Everyone who becomes obese will be affected by depression, and also everyone who suffers from depression is followed by obesity.
Does depression feed obesity or vice versa?
Most experts agreed that obesity and depression go together and one can lead to the other. Also, being overweight and not getting enough exercise increases symptoms of depression. We believe that depression alone is enough to cause excessive eating and lethargy until the weight increases and the patient becomes obese.
Also, antidepressant medications contribute to weight gain. The studies have shown that 55 % of adults who take antidepressants are obese.
Depression is not ordinary sadness, but sadness with despair, anxiety, and severe stress that leads to excessive eating and refraining from exercise resulting from a lack of enthusiasm to follow healthy diets.
What is the solution to get out of the closed circuit?
First: Bariatric surgeries:
The patient should get rid of excess weight quickly to feel positively changed and motivated to exercise and restore his activity and vitality.
This can be accomplished through bariatric surgeries that help him get rid of excess weight quickly without the need for exercise or diet before surgery.
Second: Asking for help:
A depressed and obese patient requires help from people close to him, whether friends or relatives, to support him, in addition to motivating him to eat healthily and to follow a good diet after bariatric surgery.
Is bariatric surgery is the solution?
Bariatric surgeries with Dr. Heikal Mahmoud, consultant in obesity and endoscopic surgery, are the most appropriate solution in these cases because the patient is obese, which means great binge eating accompanied by depression, which means lack of enthusiasm and activity needed to exercise hard or adhere to a strict diet.
Bariatric surgery helps the patient to stop eating in large quantities after cutting a large part of the stomach, and then the patient feels a difference in his life and a great achievement that motivates him to get rid of more excess weight and return to a healthy life with all activity and vitality and thus breaking the closed circle.
