Can eating junk food make you depressed as well as fat?
That is the preliminary findings of a new study that looked at the eating habits of more than 9,000 people.
Until now any link with depression and fast food had appeared to be that people with depression or low self esteem had indulged in “comfort eating” of junk food which made them put on weight.
That is the preliminary findings of a new study that looked at the eating habits of more than 9,000 people.
Until now any link with depression and fast food had appeared to be that people with depression or low self esteem had indulged in “comfort eating” of junk food which made them put on weight.
Now the study has described a link between people who often ate hamburgers, hotdogs and pizza and depression, finding that just over half of them are more likely to develop depression than those who rarely or never ate them.
There was also a clear link that showed that people who indulge in junk food the most were more likely to be single, take less exercise, smoke and work more than 45 hours a week.
The study, which involved 9,000 participants, none of whom had ever been diagnosed with depression, has now been published in the Journal of Public Health Nutrition.
Scientists found 493 of them were diagnosed with depression. Dr Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, lead researcher from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, said that even people who only ate small quantities had a much higher chance of developing depression.
She added that it reinforced the view that more controls were needed over the sale of junk food because of its implications for health, obesity, heart diseases and now mental health.
There was also a clear link that showed that people who indulge in junk food the most were more likely to be single, take less exercise, smoke and work more than 45 hours a week.
The study, which involved 9,000 participants, none of whom had ever been diagnosed with depression, has now been published in the Journal of Public Health Nutrition.
Scientists found 493 of them were diagnosed with depression. Dr Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, lead researcher from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, said that even people who only ate small quantities had a much higher chance of developing depression.
She added that it reinforced the view that more controls were needed over the sale of junk food because of its implications for health, obesity, heart diseases and now mental health.