Treating Women’s Depression Might Help Them Lose Weight

For many women coping with obesity and depression, new research finds that improving your mood might be the link to losing weight.

The new study, which appears in the November/December issue of the journal General Hospital Psychiatry, cites past surveys that show having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more - classified as obese - increases a person's risk of depression by 50 percent to 150 percent.

The researchers found the most significant changes happened in the first six months and then remained stable afterwards. At six months, among the women who had at least a one-half point decrease on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist depression score, 38 percent lost at least 5 percent of their body weight. This compared with 21 percent of the women who lost the same amount but had no decrease - or an increase - in their depression score.

Original Paper:

Simon GE, et al. Association between change in depression and change in weight among women enrolled in weight loss treatment. Gen Hosp Psych, 32(6), 2010.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101210095348.htm