Your Questions About Weight and Mental Health, Answered
Weight and Mental Health: straight answers to the questions people actually ask, with the figures behind them.
The two-way relationship between weight, mood, self-image and eating behaviour.
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 is Weight and Mental Health?
The two-way relationship between weight, mood, self-image and eating behaviour.
Why does it matter?
Weight stigma is associated with worse health outcomes and more disordered eating, which is the opposite of what it is assumed to achieve.
Weight stigma for Weight and Mental Health?
Associated with worse outcomes and avoidance of care.
Eating disorders for Weight and Mental Health?
Occur at every body weight.
Beat helpline for Weight and Mental Health?
0808 801 0677.
Depression and weight for Weight and Mental Health?
Each raises risk of the other.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Judge progress on behaviour and health markers, not only the scale.
What is the most common mistake?
Framing weight in moral terms, for yourself or anyone else.
When should I see 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 to go next
- Weight and Mental Health: Just the Figures
- The Evidence on Weight and Mental Health, Without the Hype
- 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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