Most people realize there is a connection between the number on the scale and how they feel every day and about themselves. Do you know just how strong that link is? Let’s look at the connection between your weight and mental health.
Poor Body Image
With obesity often comes poor body image. This is a double-edged sword, as it can lead to negative lifestyle choices that only worsen the problem, such as overeating, which causes more weight gain. Over time, it may lead to the development of an eating disorder. Having a poor body image can start to affect your current relationships and your ability to form new, healthy ones.
Chronic Pain
Being overweight contributes to chronic pain. It may worsen the pain caused by pre-existing conditions or cause joint pain over time as cartilage breaks down. Being in pain can then lead to depression and, in some cases, opioid pain medications that can spiral to addiction. When combined with other mental health consequences of obesity, chronic pain can become a trigger, leading to much worse conditions.
Worsening Depression
Which came first, the depression or the weight? For some, this can be a tricky question to answer. However, obesity can cause depression that causes poor eating habits, leading to weight gain and contributing to worsening depression. The initial weight gain could have been caused by depression, a physical health condition or even genetics, but the cycle must be broken to lose weight and keep the weight off long term.
Heightened Anxiety
Those who are overweight might find it difficult to find or keep a job. This can lead to anxiety over their finances or housing. They may have social anxiety because of their poor body image or become anxious when learning new things because they lack self-confidence. High stress can then affect depression and body image.
If you are ready to break the cycle of weight gain to feel more confident about yourself and your appearance, contact Batash Medical today. Whether you need to lose just a few pounds or a bit more than that, we can help to create a personalized, non-surgical weight loss plan to have you living your best life in no time.
