Sort of makes a mockery of the comfort eating process doesn't it? You feel down, enjoy some cake and on some unknown level, it makes you more miserable?

BBC NEWS | Health | Depression link to processed food

I know a big change in diet had to have been one of several contributing factors to me getting out of my last bout of depression.

It's amazing how eating better food made me feel so much more fresh and energetic and UP for life. Lots of shit food makes me feel... heavy. Not literally heavy (although there would be weight gain too) but just... lacking in motivation and enthusiasm. Add alcohol to the mix, and you can imagine.

And also, for me at least, there was the basic vicious circle of: depression > overeating > weight gain > low self esteem > more depression, etc etc. So when I changed my diet and lost weight, there was a rise in self esteem and subsequent relief from that part of the depression. Add that to the general feeling of energy and motivation that a better diet will bring, and you're starting to really move into the direction of win? Or at least clearing up some issues so you can start dealing with others.

But I kind of doubt depression can be cured altogether with a better diet or that all depression is associated with poor diet (not that the article/research seems to claim either of these things), but my experience feels like a good diet would have to make a significant improvement in a person if it was not already present.


Besides all that, one thing that's odd is how sometimes when you're down you just want to eat everything in sight, and other times the mere sight of food makes you feel ill? I wonder why that is.

I don't think this is really brand new information? Its no secret that using fresh produce and ingredents in your meals make you feel better.

I thought it was interesting the way they completely discounted the idea that the depression might be causing the bad eating by saying that it wasn't linked to previous depression diagnoses. Doesn't seem to completely fit- there is nothing to say that people can't have new episodes of depression in middle age and that one of the earliest symptoms is a craving for a high fat high sugar diet? And whilst they accounted for things like education, they don't seem to have accounted for social class- which is in the UK at least a big determinant of how you eat- and also a big contributor towards your mental heallth.

I do think eating crap can fuck with your moods- my friend was complaining her new contraceptive pill was making her emotions go all over the place, then mentioned that in the last 48 hours she had eaten NOTHING (and I seriously mean nothing) apart from packets of sweets and chocolate bars. Now if I eat too much sugar, I go into a moody, heart palpitating mess 3 hours later, so god only knows how you'd cope with 48 hours on a constant sugar and fat binge.

this isn't addressing chicken vs egg. this is just syaing that those who eat these foods are more likely to be depressed people. it doesnt say they weren;.t depressed and then they ate foods and got depressed.

as some one who suffers from major depressive disorder i can tell you that eating cake (especially cake) results in my feeling buzzed for a while and then makes me feel worse later, but that buzz is what im after. its definitely cyclical, but i think that people are attracted to foods that will give them a respite from depression, which cake does. and then it makes it worse. its a very bad loop to be in.

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