Obesity Depression Anxiety Diet and Stress

Obesity and depression anxiety are global epidemics.  The rise in obesity and depression anxiety worldwide coincides with the spread and adoption of the American Diet and Lifestyle.

While diet and lifestyle deserves most of the blame for the spread of obesity, depression and anxiety, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many other related conditions, diet and lifestyle are not the only culprit.

Obesity and depression anxiety occur together at a very high rate, what scientists call comorbidity, where two separate conditions appear at the same time.  Scientists aren’t sure if obesity causes depression anxiety or if depression anxiety causes obesity.

What scientists do know is that treating one of the conditions, obesity or depression anxiety, helps improve the other condition.  Obesity is more common in “Atypical Depression”, a type of depression that responds well to positive events, and more women than men have obesity and depression anxiety.

However, the obesity depression anxiety puzzle is really not that hard to figure out, they both have something in common, a third condition, something other than diet and lifestyle which causes both obesity and depression anxiety – Stress.

Chronic stress causes depression anxiety and chronic stress can also cause obesity.  The reason why so many people have depression anxiety and obesity at the same time is due to stress.  More specifically, the obesity depression anxiety connection, is due to the stress hormone cortisol. Read more.

Update June 21, 2013

Link Between Obesity Stress and Depression Anxiety Confirmed

A new study from Deakin University in Australia confirms the link between obesity, stress, and depression anxiety.  In the study, obese men saw their cortisol levels rise by 51% after a meal, compared to only 5% for non-obese men.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, lead researcher Anne Turner was quoted saying “This research indicates that when we are carrying excess fat stores, we may also be exposing our bodies to increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol every time we have a meal.”

“There is evidence that prolonged or chronic stress or exposure to the stress hormone cortisol is associated with greater incidence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression,” Turner told the Huffington Post. “The concern is that frequent repeated exposure to short term or acute stress or elevations of cortisol may also lead to such diseases in the long term.”

“If overweight and obese individuals have an increase in cortisol every time they ingest food, they may be at a greater risk of developing stress‐related diseases.”

End Update

How Stress Causes Depression Anxiety

Chronic psychological stress from work, a bad marriage, university or school, the recession, war, social media, or any number of stressors, results in the constant release of the stress hormone cortisol, which causes damage and inflammation to the gut, allowing undigested food particles and toxins to enter the bloodstream and brain, leading to inflammation in the brain and depression anxiety.

Learn More:
What Causes Depression Anxiety
How Stress Causes Depression Anxiety
Gut Brain Connection and Depression Anxiety

How Stress Causes Obesity

Chronic stress causes a constant release of the stress hormone cortisol, which among other things, is critical in managing fat storage and energy use in the body.  Cortisol also increases the appetite and cravings for sugary and fatty foods.

The stress hormone cortisol, for individuals with atypical depression, literally adds a layer of fat on top of their depression anxiety.

Stress causes depression anxiety, which interferes with serotonin production, and performance in the brain.  Carbohydrates raise serotonin levels. Carbohydrates, sugars and fats are used, by many individuals with depression anxiety, like alcohol and nicotine in others, as a method of self-medication.

The carbohydrates, gluten, sugar, and bad fats, used as self medication, causes inflammation and damage to the gut, which leads to depression anxiety. Once the gut becomes damaged, nutrient, vitamin, and mineral absorption is reduced, and individuals may eat more in attempt to increase their nutrient intake.

Learn More:
How Gluten Causes Depression Anxiety
How Sugar Causes Depression Anxiety
How GMO Food Causes Depression Anxiety

Individuals with obesity and depression anxiety find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of stress – food self-medication – gut damage – depression anxiety – obesity – stress…

Obesity and Depression Anxiety Recovery Plan

Individuals with obesity and depression anxiety, not only need to change their diet, away from highly inflammatory foods, they also need to manage or eliminate stress.

Diet for Obesity and Depression Anxiety
The Depression Anxiety Diet eliminates inflammatory foods, and replaces them with high nutrient anti-inflammatory foods, which heals the gut and increases nutrient absorption.  Supplements for depression anxiety are also used to help heal the gut and increase vitamin and mineral absorption.

Besides stopping the gut brain depression anxiety cycle, the Depression Anxiety Diet also as a side-benefit, leads to natural weight loss.

Stress Management for Obesity and Depression Anxiety
Stress is the common denominator between obesity and depression anxiety.  Without reducing or eliminating stress, no matter how good your diet or the number of supplements, full depression anxiety recovery and obesity weight loss will be difficult to achieve.

Exercise and cognitive behavior counseling are the methods for managing stress with obesity and depression anxiety.  Exercise is scientifically proven to work as well as medication for reducing anxiety, and obviously helps weight loss, by increasing metabolism.

Learn More:  Yoga for Depression Anxiety

Counseling is used to identify the source of stress, and cognitive behavior therapy techniques such as meditation and mindfulness, are used to stop the psychological triggering of the stress hormone cortisol.

Summary:
Obesity and depression anxiety occur together very frequently.  The common denominator between obesity and depression anxiety is stress.  Carbohydrates, gluten, sugar, and fats are used by many individuals as a method of self-medication to increase their serotonin levels.  Bad foods cause further damage, increasing the individuals obesity and depression anxiety, and a vicious cycle is created.

A healthy non-inflammatory diet, along with gut healing supplements, and stress management using exercise and cognitive behavior therapy is needed for full depression anxiety and obesity recovery.

If you have obesity and depression anxiety, or you know someone with depression anxiety, learn more about our natural depression anxiety alternative, and get started on your recovery with our step by step Guide to Depression Anxiety Recovery.

More Information:
Depression Anxiety Diet
Depression Anxiety Recipes
Depression Anxiety Exercises
Best Supplements for Depression Anxiety

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