When it comes to drugs, there must always be clear indications for their consumption by a specialist who has carried out a prior evaluation.
If this does not occur, then some side effects could occur in the subject, and even despite medical supervision they may begin to appear. In the case of antidepressants, it is confirmed that one of these unwanted effects is an unusual weight gain in the subject.
In this article we will address the question: Why do antidepressants make you gain weight? To do this, we will review the results of a longitudinal study published in the British Medical Journal, and we will see how these medications can have this effect on the human body, as well as some ways to prevent it.
The relationship between antidepressants and obesity
As we mentioned before, it was a longitudinal study (a long-term study) which could give us the answer to why antidepressants make you fat. This study consisted of a population sample made up of 294,719 subjects aged 20 or over, all of them from the United Kingdom between 2004 and 2014.
The research was carried out by Dr. Rafael Gafoor and other specialists from King’s College in the city of London. In the results of this investigation, evidence emerged of a clear impact of antidepressants on long-term weight gain in people who use this type of drugs.
Within this study there were other variables apart from the simple use of the medication, such as; age, suffering from some types of specific diseases such as diabetes or cancer, tobacco consumption, consumption of other medications simultaneously, among some others…
About the results of the study
The results show that regardless of the aforementioned variables, There is a constant when weight gain occurs atypically in the subject, and it is the use of one of the best-selling antidepressant drugs in the United Kingdom. Let’s see what they are:
Of these 12 medications, some more than others showed a greater incidence of weight gain among their consumers. However, all are implicated in cases of atypical long-term weight gain.
However, the results of the study were not definitive They showed that, although there is a proven level of incidence of these drugs towards the tendency of consumers to gain weight, the cause of why antidepressants generate this weight gain remains not entirely clear, although there are various factors that come into play. in Game. Let’s see them.
Possible causes of weight gain
Weight gain caused by the use of these drugs could be actually due to side effects, such as these
1. Relaxing effect on the subject
The relaxation effect that these drugs produce in those who consume them means that the subject can generate sedentary behaviors which is a risk factor for obesity.
2. Antidepressants stimulate appetite
This type of drugs has shown a positive relationship in terms of increasing people’s appetite, especially with regard to the consumption of sweets and refined flours two things that make you gain a lot of weight.
If we make a simple equation, and add these two situations (less physical activity + greater consumption of sweets and flour), the result translates into a higher level of fat in the body, especially accumulated in the abdominal area which generates the belly.
Ways to prevent this effect
Some effective forms of prevention can be the following.
1. Keep control of your weight
Keeping track of the weight changes you might be experiencing will help you realize that something is happening and that you should take action on the matter. Furthermore, after having analyzed the situation, you should continue to weigh yourself almost daily to avoid relapses.
2. Outdoor physical activity
Regardless of what physical activity you do, The important thing is that you do it with enthusiasm and that you notice the physical wear and tear while you do it Jogging for 10 minutes is a good alternative to stay in shape.
3. Include salads in your diet
Searching for salad recipes and starting to add these to your menu will greatly help to reduce the amount of fat you accumulate much less. This salad-based menu is recommended while you are taking antidepressants. After having finished the treatment you could continue including these in your meals but not so rigorously.
