A study published in the International Journal of obesity cited that high fat foods are indeed comforting but they can lead to depression and 25% of obesity people diagnosed with depression. Adding some extra kilos to your weight may make a person feel let down or unhappy. But it can happen in the vice versa also. Sometimes depression can also be the prior reason behind the failing to lose the bulk weight.

Mood and eating is always correlated as many persons depend on the moods at the time of eating so it is not surprising that emotions don’t affect or contribute to weight loss.

Does depression cause Weight Gain?

There is some preference to the idea that weight gain and depression are entwined. In a study for two decades it is found that 5,000 young men and women were closely studied to look at what are the basic interrelation between weight gain and depression. In this study the men and women all put on some weight whether they are depressed or not but the persons with depression surely gained more weight especially in the waistline. On the other hand the opposite wasn’t true for the persons with overweight issues; they seem to have no risk for depression as a result of their weight gain.

The Gallup study revealed that the BMI (Body Mass Index) of an individual entwined with the depth of depression. Both overweight and obese people tend to have more body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem comparison to normal weight people. As per the western style, the thin is more beautiful and appealing is mostly desired. These things sometimes increases the internal conflicts which results in psychological issues called as depression which may also ends up with overeating of the persons.

Why is Depression related to Weight Gain?

The possibilities for overeating are more for the persons with depression than normal people. And it is also a proven fact that the tendency to gain more fat in the waist line is due to the increase in cortisol hormone which is produced due to more stress.

Cortisol is commonly known as the stress hormone as it increases at stressful periods. The increasing levels of cortisol may result in abdominal obesity and storing of fat around waistline and also decrease in the muscle mass and bone density. Apart from this cortisol also raises blood sugar levels, blood pressure increase and lowers the immunity power. So this results cortisol is not good for body composition as well as overall health.

Again elevated cortisol levels also increase the appetite which results overeating, particularly high carbohydrate foods.

How to reduce the cortisol response?

So in order to reduce gaining more weight we need to decrease the cortisol levels. One easy way to do this is through daily exercises, planned diet meals. Try to count the calories of intake, make a food log. Make small goals which you can easily achieve like losing 5 to 10 pounds within one week or two weeks. Caution to do less vigorous and longer period exercises as it increases the cortisol level, choose to do high intensity exercise which can reduce weight easily like cardio exercises. For example take a walk or jog for twenty minutes preferably outdoors as nature refreshes your body and souls, lifts the energy level, decrease the stress level, lowers stress hormones and also burns extra calories.

So with exercises we can beat up depression as well as weight gain. For serious health issues you can consider a talk with the health care provider who can provide some healthy guidance for reducing extra weight.