Why Depression Puts You at Risk of Weight Gain: Experts Say

16.02.2023 19:00
Updated: 14.04.2023 03:00

Some people, due to nervous tension, refuse to eat and lose weight.

However, many, on the contrary, recover very quickly.

Why Depression Increases Your Risk of Weight Gain

Food cravings

It is known that negative emotions cause interest in unhealthy food. Many people want to treat themselves to pizza, French fries or a hamburger after a hard day.

Others escape depression with chocolate, ice cream in large quantities, and cakes.

Any of the listed products are sources of a huge amount of calories. If you are depressed for a long period of time, then weight gain is inevitable.

pizza
Photo: © Belnovosti

Metabolic rate

Few people know that depression has a depressing effect on metabolism. Because of this, the body processes food much more slowly.

As a result, we gain fat mass even if we eat relatively normally.

Hormonal background

Depression causes various hormones to be actively released, which cause hunger, experts note.

Therefore, due to an uncomfortable psychological state, it is difficult for us to cope with overeating.

State

If a person is depressed, he has no desire to lead an active lifestyle, since this requires being in an elevated mood.

Depression is often accompanied by bouts of laziness, so a person is even reluctant to move. The combination of all these factors can lead to extremely rapid weight gain.

It is worth remembering that getting rid of extra pounds when you are depressed is also an extremely difficult task.

Author: Marina Michalap Internet resource editor

Content
  1. Why Depression Increases Your Risk of Weight Gain
  2. Food cravings
  3. Metabolic rate
  4. Hormonal background
  5. State