Doctors find link between obesity and mental health problems

SA's overweight and obesity rate of 61% of the population is a cause for concern, according to experts

Dr Ian Westmore, board member of the Psychiatry Management Group (PsychMG), says as it currently stands, obesity remains a medical condition, and perhaps for this reason, research has focused neither on understanding the psychological impact of living with obesity nor the influence of mental health on the development of obesity in the first place.

Most People Will Have A Mental Health Condition At Some Point

Most people will be affected by a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.

Research published earlier this year in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology suggests that approximately 80 percent of the population will experience a diagnosable mental health issue, like depression, over time. The study also found that for most people, the condition is temporary.

In an essay for Scientific American, researchers Aaron Reuben and Jonathan Schaefer wrote that this means mental health issues may be more common than physical health problems.