The Evidence on Weight and Mental Health, Without the Hype
Weight stigma is associated with worse health outcomes and more disordered eating, which is the opposite of what it is assumed to achieve.
Key takeaways
- Weight stigma: associated with worse outcomes and avoidance of care
- Eating disorders: occur at every body weight
- Most useful single change: Judge progress on behaviour and health markers, not only the scale.
- Commonest mistake: Framing weight in moral terms, for yourself or anyone else.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What it is
The two-way relationship between weight, mood, self-image and eating behaviour. It sits within Weight Management. What follows are the published numbers, not the ones that get passed around.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Weight stigma | associated with worse outcomes and avoidance of care |
| Eating disorders | occur at every body weight |
| Beat helpline | 0808 801 0677 |
| Depression and weight | each raises risk of the other |
| Some medicines | cause weight gain, including several antipsychotics and antidepressants |
What helps
You do not have to do all of it, and you do not have to start today.
- Judge progress on behaviour and health markers, not only the scale
- Raise medication-related weight gain with your prescriber rather than stopping
- Seek support early if eating feels out of control
- Treat sleep and mood as part of weight management, not separate from it
What to avoid
These come up often, and several of them sound like good ideas.
- Framing weight in moral terms, for yourself or anyone else
- Compensatory behaviour such as purging or fasting after eating
- Stopping prescribed medication because of weight change without advice
Where to go next
- Weight and Mental Health: Just the Figures
- Making Sense of Weight and Mental Health
- Weight and Mental Health — the reference entry
- Rate of Weight Loss: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Body Mass Index: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Contact your GP or the Beat helpline on 0808 801 0677 if you are restricting severely, bingeing, purging, or if thoughts about food and weight are distressing. Eating disorders are serious and treatable, and occur at every body weight. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact your GP, NHS 111, or the Samaritans on 116 123.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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