Obesity

Obesity and Psychiatric Disorders

Several studies have found that a numbers of patients with mental illness are obese compared to the general population. Mental illness may increase the risk of obesity, while obesity may increase an individual's chances to develop a psychiatric disorder. The reasons behind the link between obesity and psychiatric problems are poor self-image, the biological disruptions caused by obesity, physical inactivity and the social stigma related to being overweight. Epidemiological studies justify positive associations between obesity and mood disorders.