Depression Makes Us Fat

A study came out recently that shows that people who are depressed tend to be fatter than their happier counterparts.

Some of that may be because when depressed many of choose to self-medicate by eating. In other words we stuff down our feelings with food, much like an alcoholic drowns theirs with booze.

However, this is not the only reason. One of the main culprits is cortisol, a stress hormone we have discussed on earlier posts. Depression triggers high levels of cortisol which leads to creating and storing "visceral fat". Visceral fat is the stuff that collects around your internal organs and is more dangerous to our overall health than say the fat on our thighs.

Going on anti-depressant drugs is not necessarily the answer either. I'm not a big in promoting pills to solve our problems, but if you are having issues with depression, consult with your physician, especially if this is having a huge impact on your life.

For many of us, there are lots of good, natural ways to deal with depression. Ironically, two of the best are eating healthy foods rich in antioxidants and low in sugars and fats (which help us lose weight) and getting exercise (which also helps us lose weight.) Another way to lift depression is to hang out with positive people!

So find people who lift your spirits, move more and eat healthy foods and your less likely to be depressed and much more likely to improve your waistline!