Psychiatric Disorders and Weight Change – How are Depression and Weight Loss Related?

Failed attempts in weight loss go hand in hand with depression. This is the finding of several clinical studies regarding physical conditions which are related to depressive disorders. Most of the time, depressive behavior can be triggered by weight gain. The person may feel inferior to others because of their body figure. The inferiority may turn into fear of rejection and, later on, anxiety. However, once depressed, the person’s tendency is to lose discipline in food and exercise. Overeating is a common manifestation, creating a vicious cycle of weight gain and depressive disorder.

Clinical Conditions
Clinical Depressive Disorder is a state of severe uncontrolled feeling of worthlessness, sadness and self-pity. It is often associated with thoughts and attempts of suicide and hurting oneself. This may be accompanied by over-sensitivity and sudden bursts of anger. Symptoms include lack of focus, loss of pleasure and a sense of emptiness on regular activities. Some patients tend to stay away from work and physical activities. Inactivity will result in alteration of body functions like metabolism and respiration.
The patient may also experience fatigue faster in regular activities, resulting in a sedentary lifestyle. The person eats more, sleep more and work less. The natural consequence is gaining much weight. This sudden weight change is common with patients of atypical depression. About 1/3 of all depressive patients suffer from this type of the sickness.
However, the effects are reversed in some cases. Due to stress and fatigue, the person loses appetite. He/she may not have enough rest due to lack of sleep. This will result in rapid loss of weight.

Home Care
            There are easy techniques that can help depressive patients in managing weight loss or weight gain. It is of highest priority to follow a nutritious, well-balanced diet. You can consult a dietician for meal plans. Follow the food pyramid: serve more fruits and green vegetables, and serve less of oily and fatty foods. Fats and oil will make the person feel bloated, increasing the perception that he/she is fat and unattractive.
7-8 hours of quality sleep time is also needed to manage the weight of depression patients. Untreated patients experience broken sleeping hours, making them tired or unproductive during their waking hours. This is detrimental to the metabolic system and performance of the body. Doctors can prescribe medicines that can correct sleeping problems.. Family and friends of the patient must be persistent in encouraging them to work and exercise. Regular exercise like jogging or swimming will help a lot. Yoga, tai chi and other forms of meditation can also help the treatment.
Finally, the patient must discontinue drinking alcohol and other recreational drugs. These substances disrupt the natural functions of the body, which may induce more weight loss or gain for depression patients. Alcohol, in particular, is a depressant that retards the performance of the brain and the nervous system. It lowers the body’s capability of properly processing food into energy. In fact, it damages organs like the pancreas and liver, which are essential for the body’s metabolism. Illegal drugs can also cause conflicting effects with medicines used to treat psychiatric disorders.