Weight loss due to depression is quite common for people suffering from this disease and other psychological and psychiatric disorders. Even though it is a chronic and treatable disease, less than half of these people have access to treatments. this figure is as low as 10% of people treated in some countries.
This disease can affect beyond the psychological the physical part of people, which can result in weight gain or even weight loss and loss.
Some people suffer from other diseases in addition to depression, which ends up worsening their health even more.
The Covid 19 Pandemic Boosted Cases Of Depression In The World
Since the beginning of 2020, we have been through a situation never before experienced. More than 6 million deaths and more than 1 million people have died.
In a world with fear of dying or losing family members, added to so much time locked up at home triggered the increase in emotional problems.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the first year of the pandemic alone, cases of anxiety and depression increased by 25%. According to a study about 40.4% of those who participated showed symptoms of depression. On the other hand, 50.6% led to being anxious or nervous during the pandemic period.
What Is The Difference Between Sadness And Depression?
It’s normal to feel sad sometimes, but how do you know if it’s sadness or depression?
This is a tricky question to answer at first. That’s because there are many similarities between the two. However, there are some characteristics where you can distinguish one from the other.
The most outstanding example of this is the feeling of grief. It’s pretty standard for you to be sad about a loss, and it sometimes takes a while for it to pass.
However, it can become a depression if you don’t know how to deal with this situation as time progresses.
Having sad moments is expected; however, being sad always is not. Just like happiness, and the joy we have at times, we also have sadness.
In this way, people who suffer from depression are constantly sad, and in some cases, they have no idea where so much sadness comes from. And so, they lose perspective and, in the most severe cases, the will to live.
How Can Weight Loss Due To Depression Occur?
When someone suffers from depression, it is pretty standard for them to lose the will to do their daily activities, such as seeing people, going out, working, eating and sometimes even bathing.
Due to this loss of appetite, which results in the lack of some vitamins and nutrients, the body becomes weak, “lazy”, and does not have the strength for anything else.
Also, as in many situations, people only think about sleeping all the time; the mind works less. In this way, both the mind and the body are inactive, causing immunity to drop and the possibility of diseases to arise.
With all this, the body and mind lose the strength to carry out everyday activities.
Sadness and depression do not choose who feels it. For example, after losing her friend Paulo Gustavo to Covid-19, comedian and presenter Tatá Werneck reported being thinner for not feeling hungry.
Can A Person Gain Weight From Depression?
Yup. Just as some people don’t feel like eating because of depression and anxiety, the reverse path can happen.
That’s because many people discount life’s problems and sadness with food to soften that feeling or have a momentary pleasure.
In addition, due to increased stress levels due to depression, the body’s inflammatory state also increases, which can result in weight gain and, worse, in more severe cases of diabetes. That is, this process makes the body more resistant to insulin, which is the hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar levels.
Do Antidepressants Make You Fat, Or Are They Responsible For Weight Loss Due To Depression?
It depends. According to a psychiatrist, the effects may vary from drug to drug. That’s because some types cause weight loss, and others can cause weight gain. Typically, these changes happen because some medications somehow rely on certain hormones, which our body often lacks.
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