About a year ago, a research team in the Netherlands analyzed 15 studies that examined the potential link between obesity/overweight and depression. The studies included nearly 59,000 participants and when the researchers reviewed the results, they found that there is a "reciprocal link between depression and obesity." Obese people are 55% more likely to develop depression than people of normal weight, and people with depression are 58% more likely to become obese.
Depression can lead to obesity through binge eating and consumption of 'comfort' foods. Binge eating, or compulsive overeating, is seen as a type of addiction that can prompt a person to eat often enormous amounts of food to cope with a range of emotions, including stress, anger, loneliness, and depression. Comfort foods are typically any type of food that makes the eater feel a positive emotional response. They're the most likely foods that people will turn to when binge eating. Unfortunately, one of the most common types is fast food. Ice cream, chocolate, and potato chips are among the top foods identified by people as comfort foods, as well.
Obesity can trigger depression by causing a person to have a poor self image. Because society puts so much emphasis on physical perfection, people who are overweight or obese can feel inadequate and saddened when they feel as though they don't measure up to the standards of their peers. Children can feel this way at the age of five, and a poll conducted by KidsHealth (a popular children's health website) of over 1,000 children ages 9-13 showed that over half of them felt stressed about weight, even if their weight was normal.
This type of vicious cycle is difficult to break. To help your children, focus on nutrition and physical activity. Make sure that your kids are eating healthy foods and being active in their daily lives, and talk to them about the decisions that you make in these areas. It's important for anyone, kids included, to know the reasoning behind choices that affect them. If your child is having difficulty with weight, depression, or self-image, see a doctor about what you can do to improve the situation.
This topic is really important. You do a great job to really explain the importance of parents monitoring their kids diets. Although it may seem strange to tell kids no to a second or third helping, kids have to understand that they can't eat everything they want all the time. It just isn't healthy for them. It is also so important for them to stay active and to do more than just sit and watch television. I think that focusing on the activities that kids can do other than sitting inside is something that relates to this topic because both diet and exercise are important to growth.
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