Depression is a feeling of sadness that does not go away for two weeks or longer and begins to interfere with your ability to function day to day. One of the most common signs of depression is a change in how much you eat. For some people with depression, this means a loss of appetite, while for others, the amount you eat may increase.
Loss of appetite can be an early sign of depression or a warning of a depression relapse. On the other hand, some people can’t stop eating when they are depressed. A sudden change in weight, either gaining or losing, can be a warning of depression, especially in someone who has other symptoms of depression or a history of depression.
Effects on appetite
Changes in your eating habits may be related to other symptoms of depression, such as fatigue and a lack of pleasure from activities. Many people with depression lose both energy and interest. This can include a loss of interest in eating. This may be especially true for older people with depression, who may lose interest in cooking and don’t have the energy to prepare meals. For others, nausea may be a symptom of their depression and a cause for loss of appetite.
While loss of appetite is a common depression symptom, feelings of sadness or worthlessness can make some people overeat. Depression can also result in emotional eating, a common event in which the need to eat is not associated with physical hunger. Instead, emotional eating is eating in response to emotional hunger. When patients eat in response to their emotions, they are soothed by the food as it changes the chemical balance in the brain, produces a feeling of fullness that is more comfortable than an empty stomach, and improves mood through positive association with happier times.
Do you need to help from a Doctor?
Different people with depression have different symptoms, but a sudden change in appetite is a common sign of depression that should not be ignored. Here are warning signs you should tell your doctor about:
Healthy diet to fight off depression
Trying to stick to your regular eating habits as well as eating a healthy diet may help you manage depression. There is no depression diet that will cure or prevent clinical depression, but there is research to show that some diets are better than others for depression. These nutrition tips may help:
Let your doctor know about significant changes in your weight and any other symptoms of depression. If you have been diagnosed with depression, a change in eating habits could mean that your depression is getting worse. Treatment works, so don’t ignore these possible warning signs of depression.