The Link Between Obesity And Depression In America Today

The correlation between obesity and depression is complicated and sometimes viewed as inconsistent by the scientific community. The two most prevalent and widely accepted causes for obesity in America is a lack of physical activity and an over consumption of food.

Depression can be a side effect of obesity, or it can be the main disorder, with obesity being a side effect of depression. There are several websites that track the statistical data on both depression and obesity. Both of these problems affect every nationality and age group. In some groups of people, the prevalence of one or both of these disorders is quite high.

The definition of obesity is having a body-mass index of 30 percent or higher. According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, which looked at statistics between 1985 and 2009, 33 states had an obesity rate of over 25 percent. The CDC acknowledges the fact that genetics does play a part in people’s susceptibility to obesity, however, environmental and economic factors also come into play. In areas where the weather is not conducive to outdoor activities, a more stagnant daily routine is common. People who lead a busy, but not necessarily active lifestyle tend to make meal decisions out of convenience instead of healthy choice. These types of decisions would contribute to the likelihood of a person becoming obese. The fact that many Americans are not health conscious when it comes to picking the right foods also plays a role in the cycle of obesity that has plagued this nation.

Depression comes in many forms and it has been shown to be casually linked to obesity in certain groups of people. In a study performed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination from 2005 – 2006, they concluded that obese women had a higher association with depression than any other group of people in the study. Their sample group consisted of 3,599 adults over the age of 20. The rest of the data was inconclusive and could not show clear connections between the other groups of people in the study. Different studies use different variables to determine their outcomes, thus making it hard to make a clear-cut case for stating that the two are definitely linked.

The problems that these disorders pose to us as a society are great. Depression is a disease that is typically treated with drugs, means that its victims will be dependent on these medications for either the short or long term. The economic impact is significant when you take into consideration that Americans are spending billions of dollars annually on antidepressants. People suffering from obesity spend money on surgeries such as lat-band procedures and then skin removal once the band has been inserted. Obesity can be prevented, and as a result, keep people from spending on costly procedures. The approach is proactive.

Since the two have not been directly linked to one another, one is left to wonder how these two illnesses will affect the future of our society. Beyond the economic, how will they affect us personally? Surely with millions of Americans fitting well into the category of obese, and millions of others already diagnosed as clinically depressed, everyone knows someone who is either obese, or suffering from some type of depression. Not only is that particular individual affected, but that person’s family, friends and associates. Depression can lead to suicide, as well as a whole slew of side effects from the very medicine those patients use to treat the illness. How can we overcome the snowball effect of these two far-reaching yet somewhat preventable diseases?

Doctors and health experts opinions vary widely, making it difficult to come to an agreement on a clear-cut way to tackle the dilemma head-on. To add to the mix, it is ultimately up to the individual person as to whether or not they utilize whatever methods are available to them. Sifting through the vast amount of information on both of these topics is a daunting task, but society should try to get a better understanding of obesity and depression. How else will we be able to grasp the implications that they have on us as a society? Our health as individuals and as a nation depends upon further understanding of all the issues these two epidemics pose to us as a whole. What other problems can we say stem from just the two mentioned in this article? The list is potentially enormous, which is all the more reason to start learning more.