Why losing weight can make you depressed

The current study was conducted at the University College London with approximately 2 000 overweight and obese subjects of both sexes over the age of 50, for a period of 4 years to determine to what extent weight loss improved their psychological outlook and feelings of depression.

Read: Weight-loss myths debunked

Disappointing news

Dr Sarah Jackson, reported that 278 people or 14% of the participants managed to lose at least 5% of their initial body weight in the study period.  On average, these subjects lost 6.8 kg per person, which is a most encouraging result. However, Dr Jackson found that 78% of those people who lost weight were more likely to report that they were feeling depressed. This is indeed disappointing news.

Read: Depression, anxiety and self-deception

But if you consider the psychological makeup of human beings, it is not really so surprising that subjects who were successful and lost weight, did not feel that they had found the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but were feeling more depressed than the subjects who had continued to indulge their often dangerous eating habits.

The ‘Cinderella Syndrome’

Most people tend to suffer from what I think of as the "Cinderella syndrome". Most people want a happy ending and believe that instant results are possible. They want to lose 10 kg in a week without any effort or by swallowing a few pills and potions.

The whole advertising industry is based on our firm if gullible belief that, like Cinderella, we can be transformed by a ‘magic wand’ (e.g. a slimming pill, a way-out diet or a space suit for sweating it off) from fat and homely to slim and stunning.

Read: Dangerous diet pills: how to protect yourself

In the case of the UCL study, the subjects who lost substantial amounts of weight (nearly 7 kg each), undoubtedly discovered that the dream of instant, complete transformation did not come true. They had suffered to lose weight, and yet at the end of their long period of self-denial not much had changed.

Read: Eating to lose weight?

The problems they faced at the start of the study had not disappeared and they were not more successful, cleverer, or richer. Dr Jackson warns that “Aspirational advertising by diet brands may give people unrealistic expectations about weight loss.

They often promise instant life improvements, which may not be borne out in reality for many people. People should be realistic about weight loss and be prepared for challenges.”

Psychological well-being of patients

We live in a world filled with temptations, particularly in relation to food and drink, with super-sized portions of food leading us astray at every turn. As most individuals who have used a slimming diet will concur, constantly having to resist the temptations of unhealthy food tests human willpower to the utmost and may lead to depression.

Read: Physical and mental health closely linked

Dr Jackson points out that it is important for health professionals to not only to monitor the weight loss of their patients in terms of physical health improvements (which are usually highly positive), but to also keep track of the psychological well-being of patients who embark on programmes to lose weight.

The patients’ mental health is just as important as their physical health and, as this study indicates, gaining a healthy body does not necessarily or automatically produce a healthy mindset.

The physical benefits of weight loss

Many studies have repeatedly shown that losing weight, particularly of at least 5% of your initial body weight will greatly improve your health. For example, such weight loss will: