TresSugar

Too Much Fast Food Can Lead to Depression, Study Says

Leta Shy — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:03:30 PDT

A fast-food meal may make you feel sluggish, but the effects don't stop there; a recent study found that there is a link between eating fast food and junk food and having depression.

The study followed almost 9,000 people for an average of six months; the participants had never been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants. About 500 were later diagnosed with depression or started antidepressant medication; all in all, the researchers found that those who regularly ate fast food were 51 percent more likely to develop depression (with the more fast food consumed leading to a higher rate of depression), and even those who ate just small amounts of fast food or commercially baked goods (like doughnuts or croissants) were susceptible to developing depression.

The study indicates that people who eat fast food regularly are more likely to have unhealthy habits in general, which can contribute to depression. But the link to even just "small quantities" of junk food and fast food was worrying enough for the researchers to warn against eating too much fast food because of the possible effects on mental health, among other health risks.

This isn't the first time a diet has been shown to affect mental health, both positively and negatively. What do you think of the latest news?

Source: Flickr User SteFou!

How to Combat Winter Blahs and Blues

Heather Dale — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:23:08 PST

When January rolls around, the festive fun has come to an end, and we resume our regular day-to-day routines . . . good times, right? This month can be especially difficult for some because the party is over, the temperatures are dropping, and the days are awfully short. If you're experiencing any symptoms that feel like major depression, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that is cyclical and seasonal, meaning that it comes and goes at the same time every year. If you suffer from SAD, symptoms may include irritability, a drop in energy level, and possible weight gain. Various studies have shown that four to six percent of the population has been diagnosed with SAD at some point in their lives, while 10 to 12 percent have shown symptoms related to SAD. Fortunately, there are some easy remedies you can try at home to help get you through the next few months.

Keep reading to see what they are!

Study Says Coffee Lowers Risk of Depression in Women

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:52:48 PDT

Here's an inspired reason to drink a daily cup of joe: new research shows that coffee consumption may reduce the chance of depression in women. The Archives of Internal Medicine published the study, having analyzed the data of over 50,000 women over a 10-year period. Meticulously examining participants' lifestyles, health, and coffee consumption over the years, researchers concluded that women who drink coffee daily are 20 percent less likely to become depressed than those who don't.

The author of the study, Dr. Albert Ascherio, spoke to The New York Times and admitted that more research is needed: "We know that caffeine enters the brain and activates the release of different neurotransmitters that are related to mood, like dopamine and serotonin . . . That may explain the short-term effects on mood. But the long-term mechanisms of caffeine intake on mood we don't really know." While the researchers aren't quite ready to recommend that women drink more coffee, Dr. Ascherio says personal responsibility is key: "We self-medicate ourselves with caffeine, and each person usually knows their optimal level."

Are you convinced? Do you think drinking coffee can lower the risk of depression?

Group Therapy: Depression Is Impacting My Relationship

Tres Community — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 02:00:01 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I worry about my mental health, and it's been taking a toll on my relationship. Has anyone had to deal with depression while in a relationship? How did you cope? Or has anyone been on the other side and had a family member or significant other with depression/other mental health issues? How do you maintain your relationship and your sanity?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Pleasure Won't Make You Happy

Annie Scudder — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:30:33 PDT

Happiness might be overrated, depending on how you define it. On the one hand you have pleasure, or hedonistic happiness, an immediate feeling of satisfaction, amusement, or joy. And on the other, there's contentment, or eudaimonic happiness, which you can think of as a general feeling of well-being and fulfillment. Researchers say pursuing the former might actually make us less happy, while living your life with a sense of purpose could add years to your life.

The Wall Street Journal points to research that shows the American emphasis on materialism and status, associated with hedonistic happiness, has resulted in a decreased focus on community and pursuing a greater purpose (besides making tons of money) in life. This shift could explain the increase in depression, paranoia, and psychopathology among young people. Instead of chasing short-term pleasures like an expensive vacation, eating a gourmet meal, or indulging in a guilty-pleasure viewing of The Bachelor, activities like raising children, volunteering, or pursuing a higher degree have a more positive impact on our well-being, even if they're not enjoyable day to day.

None of this comes as a surprise really - it's just another way to say long-term investments, like raising a family and nurturing valuable relationships, come with greater rewards. But while the research points out that hedonistic happiness and eudaimonic happiness are not necessarily mutually exclusive, its also makes a somewhat unexpected and ironic conclusion: pursuing pleasure for its own sake will not only leave us unfulfilled, but could actually make us depressed.

Community Roundup: Do Sweets Make Us Sad?

TresSugar — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:00:27 PST

Foods and feelings - Mydisfunkshion
How we affect the people around us - Rules to Live By
An engagement story - Learn From My Mistakes
Loving my boyfriend while being attracted to women - Lesbian and Bisexual Support
Trust issues in relationships - Do, Dump, or Marry
Someone asked me if I'm pregnant today, and I'm not! - Group Therapy

Do You Binge Eat When You're Depressed?

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:55:42 PST

America's favorite talk show host Oprah Winfrey has never hidden the fact that she's an emotional eater. In an outtake from the upcoming debut of Piers Morgan Tonight, Oprah stated that the box office failure of her movie Beloved made her so depressed that she drowned her sorrows in mac-n-cheese - about 30 pounds of it.

I've had my run ins with cookies when sad, and an occasional second piece of chocolate cake when the world seems a dark and dire place. But I am not sure I would call that binge eating. What about you?

Lindsay Lohan and Gwyneth Paltrow Rely on Healing Power of Exercise

Michele Foley — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:15:09 PST

The benefit of exercise stretches way beyond the ability to fit into our "skinny jeans." It reduces stress, combats fatigue, and is good for the brain. It also helps with depression. Having dealt with PMDD for most of my adult life, exercise became my natural form of Prozac. It's good to remember this for times when you might be feeling down and out.

Out of rehab for less than a week, Lindsay Lohan has been turning to the gym, no doubt to release stress and keep her endorphin levels up. Working out can be a good distraction when you're trying to kick any sort of addiction, as the young actress is. Adding to the evidence that exercise has healing powers is an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow in the latest issue of Good Housekeeping. Gwyneth admits that exercise helped her overcome postpartum depression.

The next time you are upset, worried, angry, or sad, exercise. Take your stress out on the treadmill, which will manifest itself into the production of mood-enhancing endorphins. I personally find that yoga is an amazing mood lifter, and science agrees with me. For times that I am extremely sad, I turn to Mandy Ingber's pose for heartbreak. What exercises do you like to do when feeling down?

Adventure Girl: How to Get Out of That Unemployment Funk

Emily Co — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:00:34 PST

In my interview with Stefanie Michaels a.k.a. Adventure Girl, the travel and tweeting expert shared a great tip on how to get out from an unemployment funk. Here it is:

I try and tell people to instead of focusing on the "me," the "I," the "oh my god, what’s happening to me," they need to realize that there’s a lot of people out that need support, not necessarily financial. There’s a lot of charities out there that had to let their staff go, because of the financial environment, and they could use a helping hand.

I have a lot of friends who are unemployed, and I always tell them, "Go find a charity you want to work with." It keeps their day busy, and they’re actually thinking of ways to incorporate their past knowledge and career to help other people. They’re almost reinventing themselves by reaching out into the community. I’m saying this because I have this girlfriend with a huge production company and she was let go and she’s like, "My days are so lonely, I’m so bored, and people are busy." She loves animals so I said, "Why don’t you donate your time to an animal rescue.” She’s now thinking of another business that attaches to this - where she’s using her production value and what she learned producing TV shows and internet stuff into what she can create in the animal world. That’s something that’s completely diverse and I think sometimes when you get out into the world, you reinvent yourself, which is exactly what I had to do. I reinvented myself from being a travel writer into a social media person.

Antidepressant Use Up, Therapist Visits Down, New Study Says

Leta Shy — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:00:58 PST

Time on the psychiatrist's couch has long been viewed as a beneficial treatment for those with depression, but a new study has found that more patients are forgoing therapy sessions while antidepressant use has risen.

The report found that depression rates have risen significantly since 1987, and while the rate of antidepressant use boomed to 74 percent amount among depressed patients, up from 37 percent, those undergoing psychotherapy dropped from 71 percent to 60 percent.

The reason? While the researchers aren't completely sure, they theorize that both the new drug therapies available and the cost of a psychiatrist visit have something to do with it. Many insurance companies may cap psychiatrist visits - which can make regular therapy sessions unaffordable - but will cover generic or other cheaper medicinal options. In addition, an increase in advertising dollars for antidepressants means that patients are more knowledgeable about their drug options than psychotherapy.

The authors noted that while the results show that fewer depressed Americans are going without treatment, "the decline in psychotherapy raises the possibility that many depressed patients are not receiving optimal care."

Photo courtesy of AMC