Fat and depressed children: how to break the destructive cycle

Depressed children are a tragedy and a stain on a society. And to be fat and depressed is a heartbreaking cycle for a child to be trapped in.

A fat child will be self-conscious and unwilling to engage in enjoyable situations. This can lead to isolation and depression. By improving your son’s weight and health you can dramatically improve his mental health. Read on to prevent your son from becoming fat and depressed…

By ensuring your son follows a healthy nutrient-rich diet, and exercises sufficiently, you reduce their likelihood of becoming fat and depressed. The subsequent weight loss will increase energy, happiness and self-esteem so that he’s less likely to suffer from depression.

Table of Contents

The link between being fat and depression
Stop being fat and depressed with a healthy diet
Stop being fat and depressed with exercise
Stop being fat and depressed with Sunlight
Summary
References

The link between being fat and depression

The figures suggest that up to 60% of those with obesity suffer from a mental health disorder. And the more obese, the greater chance of suffering. Those with extreme obesity are 5 times more likely, in the last year, to have had a major depression episode(1).

Due to many modern day factors that affect a child’s self esteem and dopamine, the typical age category for mental health issues is dropping. Increasingly younger children are at risk, and at a time when 25% of 10-11 year olds in the UK are obese(2). The correlation exists at these younger ages as well. Almost one in ten obese children, in one review, were found to have depression. This is 32% higher than normal-weight children(3).

While the two are clearly linked, it is still undecided upon whether one, specifically, leads to the other. Not that it matters either way, as parents have control over what a child with a mental health condition eats. If your child is depressed, you don’t want the extra pressure of them being obese as well.

They may be linked in such a way that they both lead to each other. This post will look at the direction where obesity affects mental health, and find ways we can prevent obesity in our children to limit the chance of psychosocial conditions.

The vast majority of obesity cases are due to a poor diet and a lack of proper exercise. As simple as this sounds, many people eating unhealthily believe they have a good diet due to conflicting information and marketing. Equally, there are many obese people that go to the gym 5 times a week and follow a PT’s useless programme, thinking they are training well.

Don’t be fat and depressed! Subscribe below…

Stop being fat and depressed with a healthy diet

The crucial link between diet and obesity is well documented. But how does this poor diet negatively affect mental health?

Deficiencies

There is a consistent trend showing a healthy diet improves mental health(4). Studies show that mental disorder patients’ symptoms are reduced simply by daily supplements of vital nutrients. This is necessary because most sufferers of mental illness have a severe deficiency in nutrients such as essential vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids(5).

This deficiency is already a trend in most parts of the world in modern times, so it is vital for everyone to ensure their children are getting adequate nutrition daily.

The strongest link between vitamin deficiency and impaired cognition is B12. Deficiency in B12 causes depression, fatigue, lethargy and poor memory(6). B12 is only naturally found in animal products from animals fed on a natural diet: think shellfish and grass-fed beef(7). Beef liver is particularly high in B12. You cannot over-eat B12 specifically. It’s so important that your body stores any excess in case there is a shortage in the future.

Are you stuck trying to feed a fussy child B12-rich foods like shellfish and organs? I highly recommend APE Nutrition and their range of ‘Ancestral Supplements’. They gently freeze dry essential human foods to preserve their nutrients, then capsulate them for your ease. I sprinkle the contents on my Son’s foods to ensure, even when he’s having a fussy day, that he gets what he needs.

APE Nutrition is available on their website: https://apenutrition.co.uk

Select products are also available on amazon (links below). I’m not an APE Nutrition affiliate but I take their ‘Optimised Male’ every day and highly recommend it. Fathers, you need to try it! Trust me.

Sugar

A study of 10,000 participants that ran over 30 years found that a high sugar diet played a role in mental disorders such as depression(8). Refined sugar causes chronic inflammation where your body think it’s under attack from the toxin, so constantly tries to fight it. This wears your body down, leading to diseases that include depression.

This inflammation is especially problematic in the gut. The gut and it’s trillions of bacteria do a lot more work for the body than you think. Their jobs include hormone and neurotransmitter- such as serotonin and dopamine- production. The inflammation, and the high sugar diet itself, can imbalance the gut bacteria we rely on. Due to the role the gut plays in neurological and hormonal health, this may cause several mental illnesses(9).

Sugar also upsets the body’s blood sugar levels, sending them haywire. The crash that comes after the initial spike can cause low mood, fatigue and lethargy that may exacerbate or cause depression. Living life on the constant peaks and troughs of sugar is exhausting.

Ultra Processed Foods

The reasons why ultra processed foods(UPFs) affect mental health have been discussed above, but I thought them worth mentioning.

Pretty much every food goes through some processing for you to be able to eat it. But UPFs are the ones that come in packets where the ingredients list is endless and indecipherable. Things like chicken dippers, turkey dinosaurs and fast food burgers.

This type of food are all devoid of vitamins, are usually high in sugar and/or sweeteners, and could impact the gut microbiome(10). There has also been more significant association seen between UPFs and depression symptoms among sedentary people.

Stop being fat and depressed with exercise

Children of all ages should be active. They are literally little packages of pure energy that just want to climb and run and jump. But they, as us adults are, are becoming increasingly sedentary and spending more time in front of screens. Screen time itself has been associated with an increased risk of depression in children and adolescents(11).

Exercise, whether it’s a structured sport for adolescents or simply play for younger children, predicts fewer symptoms of major depressive episodes later in life(12). Try it for yourself. See how you feel after going to the gym or for a run. Not only do you feel good from the influx of neurotransmitters that suppress stress and anxiety, but you’re happy with yourself for completing something and challenging yourself. It’s the same for children, probably even more so.

Their brains are still developing, so getting out and playing and doing complex things is even more challenging, and so more rewarding. And as they grow into adolescents and become more concerned with their body composition, more exercise will increase their confidence and self-esteem which will have major positive implications.

Stop being fat and depressed with Sunlight

Whether your child chooses to take up a sport or become a gym monkey to exercise, make sure that they are spending time outside. The benefits that they’ll get from a strength programme or an indoor volleyball team are great, but the importance of sun exposure can’t be underestimated.

Recent studies reveal neurohormonal effects of vitamin D- mainly acquired from exposure to the sun- being essential for brain development. This has an effect on a child’s behaviour and mental health.. In fact, vitamin D deficiencies are frequently found in adolescents with severe mental illness, as well as depression(13).

Summary

Overweight and obese children are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Deficiencies in essential nutrients can degrade mental health. Ensure your child eats plenty of B12 rich foods like shellfish and grass-fed red meat and organs. If this is difficult then consider supplementing certain foods with natural human foods. I recommend APE Nutrition.

Limit sugar in your child’s diet to avoid damaging their gut bacteria and sending them on the blood sugar rollercoaster. Both of these seriously affect their mood and will cause them to feel lethargic and tired, continuing the cycle of bad food and bad mood.

Prioritise natural whole foods over anything ultra processed. Grass-fed meat; wild fish and seafood; dairy and some gut-friendly carbohydrates (ones that don’t bloat you) are the perfect bases for most meals. Keep anything processed to an absolute minimum.

Promote an active lifestyle for your children. Get them away from the screens and outside, whatever the weather. Instilling the need to get up, move, play and constantly challenge themselves early on will ensure they develop good habits. This will improve their quality of life as a teenager and into adulthood by boosting their self-esteem and overall enjoyment of life.

Raise Your Legacy