Is the intake of antidepressants related to weight gain?
Antidepressants are a type of medication that is prescribed to deal with depression. A disease that, although to this day we are still unclear why it occurs, continues to affect a very large number of people. The cause is usually a set of various factors such as personality, susceptibility, lifestyle… We must go to a professional so that they can keep track of what is happening to us and even prescribe antidepressants to help us in this process. But does taking antidepressants make you fat? It is a question that many people ask themselves, and it has an easy answer.
Can I gain weight if I take antidepressants?
- The truth is that antidepressants can help you a lot if you are going through a bit of a bad time in your life, so that should be your main concern at the moment. After this we will tell you that yes, antidepressants can have some side effects on our body, such as lack of sexual appetite or drowsiness. And among these is also that they can make us fat.
- There is not much research on this subject and, in fact, they are trying to delve into whether the relationship is direct or indirect. That is, if it is the medication itself that can make us gain weight or it is a change in our diet that we make practically without realizing it. And it is that these changes can occur when suffering alterations in our state of mind.
- The most accurate explanation would be the following: when taking medication, the brain takes serotonin and dopamine, which act on neurotransmitters and end up altering the way we eat. If we add to this that in our emotional state physical activity decreases and we have more sedentary hours, the result is a progressive weight gain over time. In the long term, antidepressants affect the thyroid and slow metabolism, thereby causing more fat to accumulate in the body.
- However, and as we have told you before, this theory is being investigated since at the moment the most widespread version is that antidepressants do not have to make you fat.
How to stop weight gain
- Many doctors claim that the reality that people who take antidepressants gain weight corresponds to a “nightmare that bites its own tail.” It does not hurt to be aware of it, especially to be able to stop it in time.
- People who suffer from depression have a very low mood, and to raise it they tend to look for some products such as chocolate in their diet, which act as antidepressants. To this is added the lack of physical activity, because it is normal that they do not feel like leaving home. This situation can produce stress and anxiety in the body that needs to be combated with something, and many times that necessary refuge is sought in food. Here the eating habits of a person come into play, as she is used to snacking between meals.
- To avoid falling into this loop, it is necessary to be aware that we can enter this circle, and also to recognize that our body/mind is in this process. In those moments of depression or anxiety, you have to ask yourself some questions so as not to be tempted to eat these foods: Do I really need to eat if I have anxiety? Can I wait or do something else to get rid of my anxiety? If the effort is made to stop in time, we will be taking giant steps in the face of possible weight gain.
- It is also very important to control your weight weekly to know first-hand if there has been an increase in it. If so, do not hesitate to tell the specialist so that he can provide you with the appropriate indications. An advice? Going for a walk, even for 15 minutes a day, will help you feel more motivated and active.