Dieting & Depression

Many people think dieting will change your life, but instead a new study out of the UK finds losing weight can actually lead to loneliness, lethargy and depression.
Researchers found that while weight loss was associated with improved health ... it also found dieters who lost more than 5-percent of their original weight were also more likely to be depressed.
Most clinical trials have found that weight loss helps to improve mood. I'm a good example of that. During my diet last year, my mood was elevated as I continued to lose weight. However, researcher believe the increase in mood could have more to do with the supportive environment rather than the actualy weight loss.

Of the 1,979 overweight and obese participants, 278 (14 percent) lost at least five percent of their initial body weight with a mean weight loss of 15 pounds per person.
Before adjusting for serious health issues and major life events such as bereavement, which can cause both weight loss and depressed mood, the people who lost weight were 78 percent more likely to report depressed mood.
“We do not want to discourage anyone from trying to lose weight, which has tremendous physical benefits, but people should not expect weight loss to instantly improve all aspects of life,” said lead author Sarah Jackson, M.D.

The bottom line here is that losing weight won't change your life or who you are. As the saying goes "Wherever you go, there you are".  If you think you're unhappy just because you are overweight, you're probably wrong. There are always many factors at play behind depression. While losing weight can make you healthier, it can't remove the other factors behind the depression.

“We do not want to discourage anyone from trying to lose weight, which has tremendous physical benefits, but people should not expect weight loss to instantly improve all aspects of life,” said lead author Sarah Jackson, M.D.

 Not to mention, losing weight can change other factors in your life. For instance, I know dieters who have had to cut friends out of their lives simply because those people cannot be supportive of the dieter. We all have friends who are our "eating" friends. Those people are our dinner dates or binge eating buddies. Sometimes those same people we consider friends don't understand why we want to lose weight and unintentionally (usually) try to sabotage what we are doing. It's understandable that you may need to cut them out of your life. 

“Resisting the ever-present temptations of unhealthy food in modern society takes a mental toll, as it requires considerable willpower and may involve missing out on some enjoyable activities,” said Jackson.

“However, mood may improve once target weight is reached and the focus is on weight maintenance. Our data only covered a four year period so it would be interesting to see how mood changes once people settle into their lower weight.” 

"Don't expect dieting to solve all the problems in your life. But it will make you fitter and healthier"

The findings come from a study of almost 2,000 overweight and obese men and women aged 50 and over.

If you want to read more check out some articles online here and here.