Psychological effect of obesity hits women twice as hard as men: study

Obesity is increasingly becoming a major health issue across the globe as it takes a toll on a person’s physical well being. But the psychological impact of being overweight is also a cause for concern as it can lead to serious consequences for mental health.

While being overweight increases the risk of depression, it affects women twice as much as men. A study found that high BMI makes people more likely to be depressed and an addition of five points to it increased risk of depression by 11 per cent in men and 23 per cent in women.

Previous reports have suggested that while obesity has doubled in the UK since 1990s, number of people using anti-depressants tripled.