Name: Matthew Curtis
Professor’s Name: Professor Ryan Roderick
Course Title: College Writing
Date: 11/5/22
Do obesity and mental health have a direct correlation?
1,122 college students were studied in Mexico City from the Metropolitan Autonomous University. Measuring WC (waist circumference), BMI (body mass index), and a questionnaire regarding mental health to find their results. The questionnaire contained questions that regarded eating habits, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Plutchik Impulsivity Scale, and the General Anxiety Disorder Scale of Carol and Davidson.
Obesity has been noticeably hard to treat, many people who are treated generally return for further treatment. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of what lies behind the weight gain. Obesity is the result of combining factors: genetics, mental health, and environment. Genetic factors vary widely, from 6% to 85% depending on methods and the amount of population studied. Environment is a contributing factor due to lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits. Mental health problems can be a contributing factor, and a consequence of obesity. Some people with psychological problems use food as a coping mechanism which fuels weight gain. Anxiety and depression have both been linked to obesity. Anxiety can cause someone to overeat, promoting weight gain, and making treatment more difficult to work.
Apart from the research preformed by Lazarevich, Irina; Irigoyen-Camacho, María Esther; Velázquez-Alva, María del Consuelo Obesity, focused on eating behaviour and mental health among university students in Mexico city, The American Psychiatric Association’s research showed that people who had depression and a tendency to overeat were obese, more often than not. They believe that eating hits the reward center of the brain, making it more tempting to eat when someone is stressed. Stress eating or “emotional eating” is a coping mechanism that is prevalent. People with anxiety and or depression will lean on food to help them deal with their emotions.
Many studies show that psychological factors play a role in the development and treatment of obesity, but it is often overlooked during treatment.
The finding of their research was that out of the participants in the study, 26.6% of the students studied were overweight or obese, 82.8% of the students had irregular eating habits, 75% of students had a carbohydrate craving, 41.4% of students said they constantly felt hungry and overate, 18.8% of students had a hard time to stop eating, and 9.7% had a problem with binge eating. 20.4% of the students showed signs of depression, 15.7% of students showed to have impulsive traits, and 2.76% of students had anxiety. Tests revealed that people with altered eating patterns tested higher on the impulsiveness and depression scales. Several studies have also shown that people with obesity are generally more impulsive.
(Grupo Aula Médica, Irina Lazarevich, María Esther Irigoyen-Camacho and María del Consuelo Velázquez-Alva, https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/3092/309230209017.pdf p4-5)
Regardless of the correlation between mental health, eating behaviors, and obesity, it isn’t enough to label them as their own eating disorders. They usually aren’t taken into account when treating obesity. It should be a factor when evaluating patients, to narrow down how to provide the best help possible. Telling a patient they should "eat less" or "eat healthier" doesn't address the possible underlying issue of impulsivity or emotional eating.
References
https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/3092/309230209017.pdf
Lazarevich, Irina; Irigoyen-Camacho, María Esther; Velázquez-Alva, María del Consuelo Obesity, eating behaviour and mental health among university students in Mexico city Nutrición Hospitalaria, vol. 28, núm. 6, noviembre-diciembre, 2013, pp. 1892-1899 Grupo Aula Médica Madrid, España