If weight loss is beneficial to health in case of overweight or obesity, it does not necessarily rhyme with better mental health. Researchers from University College London recently published a study in the scientific journal PLoS ONE revealing the risk ofdepressed mood after a weight-loss diet.
The research involved 1,979 British individuals aged 50 and over, overweight or obese, without proven depression at the start of the study.
The participants were then classified into groups according to their weight change over 4 years: those who lost more than 5% of their body mass, those who gained 5% of mass and those whose weight remained stable.
At the end of the study, 14% of participants lost at least 5% of their initial weight, with an average of 6.8 kg in four years.
The proportion of individuals victims of depressed moods was then found to be higher in the group having lost weight than in the other two groups.
The scientists then calculated that people who lost weight had a 52% higher risk of depressed mood than the other groups.
A call not to neglect psychological care
In their study, the researchers demonstrated the benefit of losing weight in order to reduce the risk of accidents cardiovascularbut also the importance of strong psychological support, so as not to sink into depression.
Seeing your body change without having been prepared for it can lead to an individual’s discomfort that is difficult to overcome. In addition, “it is very difficult to resist the permanent temptations of unhealthy food” explains Dr. Sarah Jackson, co-author of the study, “it takes considerable willpower”. Because as in everything dietingthe most difficult thing is to maintain the weight obtained and maintain a balanced diet.
Source:
Psychological Changes following Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study, Sarah E. Jackson, Andrew Steptoe, Rebecca J. Beeken, Mika Kivimaki, Jane Wardle, PLos ONE, August 6, 2014
