Dieting and Depression

Abstract

Obesity, one of the major threats to health and longevity in Western society, is usually treated with some form of weight-reducing regime. However, in recent years several authors have cautioned against the widespread prescription of reducing diets for obese patients because of the danger of inducing severe depression. The present investigation was undertaken to determine the actual risk of such severe depressive illness occurring among a group of obese dieters attempting weight reduction under the supervision of their general practitioner.