Weight Gain and Psychological Health

Surprisingly weight gain and psychological health are related. Studies have shown that the more people who become stressed and depressed all the time become obese rather than the people who are not always stressed. "The study of more than 9,000 adults found that mood and anxiety disorders including depression were about 25 percent more common in the obese people studied than in the non-obese. (“Archives of General Psychiatry”, 2006) " Weight gain is very much influenced by stress and sleep. First, I am going to talk about how stress leads to weight gain. People who are stressed a lot are more likely to become depressed. People wanted to know why depression and obesity were closely related. When people are stressed, they tend to increase their eating habits and decrease their physical activity. People also wanted to know which came first: obesity or depression. Researchers studied this and said “there are very plausible reasons why depression could increase the risk for obesity and very plausible reasons why obesity could increase the risk for depression, (Boyles, 2009)” he says. “I think it is likely that both of these things are happening. (Boyles, 2009)” The key is to seek help when you think you are becoming depressed so you don’t end up becoming obese, and vice versa. Next, I am going to talk about how little or too much sleep leads to weight gain. Sleep and stress are also commonly related. If you get little sleep, then you will most likely become stressed, which could lead to depression, and then that could lead to obesity. It is always important to get the right amount of sleep each night. Sleep is a valuable necessity for living a great life. Sleep is actually one of the best medications for stress. There is a lot of things in life that could cause stress, so we need to get the right amount of sleep each night, so we don’t feel stressed all time. Not enough sleep makes your body feel week, which means people are going to decrease their physical activity and still continue to eat and that will lead to obesity. A lot of college students don’t get enough sleep and are stressed frequently. They also eat a lot. In order to stay healthy they have to get daily physical activity. If they just stay in the habit of eating, not getting enough sleep, and no physical activity then it may lead to obesity. Finally, I am going to talk about how weight loss improves your health. “The physical benefits of weight loss include decreased blood pressure, improved circulatory system and increased cardiac health. But a new study shows that losing excess weight may also improve concentration and cognitive abilities including memory.(“Can Weight Loss”, 2011)” John Gunstad, an Assistant Professor of psychology at Kent State University and lead author of the study, said, “We’ve known for a long time that obesity is a risk factor for things like Alzheimer’s disease and stroke, and more recent work really shows that obesity is a link to memory problems and concentration problems before that even begins.(“Can Weight Loss”, 2011)” Physical activity is a key to weight loss. It also improves your health. Staying active makes you feel happier and less stressed. Once you start having physical activity in your life, you are going to want to keep it in your daily routine. When you are able to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle, you are less likely to be depressed and stressed. In conclusion, weight gain and psychological health are closely related. The two common factors that influence weight gain are stress and sleep. However, weight loss improves your health. Always stay active and get help right away if you think you are going to become depressed.

Citations Page
Can weight loss improve mental health. ((2011, April 22)2011, April 22). Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/weight-loss-memory-improvement/
Excess weight and obesity,. (2006). Retrieved from http://weight.insulitelabs.com/Mental-Disorders.php