The food we eat affects us in many ways. A recent study from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School found a link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increase in the risk of depression. Ali Rogin speaks with Olivia Okereke, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School who worked on the study, to learn more.
This study is going to lead to tons of wowthanksimcured advice for depressed people so I just want to state to anyone out there listening:
My most severe period of depression as an adult happened during a time where I was eating healthfully (almost no processed foods) and doing 5+ days per week of moderate-to-heavy exercise. I didn’t drink or use drugs during that time either. It came on after 9 months of consistency and I powered through two more months, consistently eating right and exercising before it overwhelmed me.
It’s super unhelpful to suggest eating right and exercising to a depressed person if you’re not their licensed medical or mental health caregiver.
The point is that that ultra-processed or unhealthy foods increase the risk for depression in the general public. I get it’s not helpful or correct to tell a person who’s actively depressed to exercise and eat right so they feel less depressed, but exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep has been the first recommendation doctors and therapists will give to someone seeking a longer-term improvement in their mood for a long time.
I should add that I’m a mental health professional, and in my anecdotal experience, there are different “types” of depression, even if they all meet criteria for MDD. Some people fall into a chasm due to their brain chemistry, and only meds, ECT, TMS, time, or a combination of these will get them out. Sounds like this may be what you experienced. Others (I would say the majority of those diagnosed with depression who land in the hospital) have a more low level depression that can absolutely be improved with lifestyle changes and/or psychotherapy. Point being, I still think this is helpful information for a large segment of those experiencing depression.
No, the point is that there is a correlation between eating processed foods and developing “incident depression” over a 15 year period in mostly white populations of middle-aged women.
The study doesn’t say what you’re already claiming it does because of a headline, and that is what leads to very unhealthy advice given.
The negative mood effects of unhealthy lifestyle choices are well established and not arguable. I’m not making that statement on this study, but rather the entire body of literature showing this to be the case.
This is you, making a false statement that is about the study OP posted, not general “not arguable” bodies of knowledge.
This is harmful, not helpful.
Ok, I’ll say it again. The negative mood effects of unhealthy lifestyle choices are well established and not arguable. I’m not making that statement on this study, but rather the entire body of literature showing this to be the case. Sorry there was a misunderstanding.
If you’re not talking about the study, why did you quote the headline almost word for word?
Then go edit your post to remove the statement that contradicts what you’re saying now.
What I am trying to do is to prevent people from reading the headline and making the false statement that you then made based off of it and using that to try and give advice about diet and exercise to people with clinical depression.