Further research will provide a better insight into the issue
KARACHI: Obesity and depression are rampant in our society, and are increasing by the day. According to studies, these are more commonly found among women and have a direct linkage with increasing age.
Several studies have shown that teenagers with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 have a higher chance of being diagnosed with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, than those with a lower BMI. A rational explanation of this may be that obesity leads to low self-esteem, which causes depression. It has also been discovered that gender has a fundamental impact on obesity. However, these are yet to be explained via studies. Not much research has been conducted on this topic, so it is difficult to distinguish between myth and reality. Further research will provide a better insight into the issue. The only established link between obesity and mental illnesses is that chronic or uninterrupted bouts of depression result in a high risk of obesity.
Sonia Meer
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2019.
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