In this day and age, depression is a prevalent condition. There are countless reasons for this, but our busy and stressful lives have a habit of allowing pressure and anxiety to build up, resulting in low mood, which can then eventually manifest itself as depression.

Depression isn’t something to joke about, and it isn’t something you should have to live with either. One potential reason for depression is an associated weight problem.

This is a two sided issue; firstly we have the fact that those who are already taking antidepressant medication may have gained weight as a side effect of the drugs themselves. This is a common effect and one which most people notice to some degree. Of course, within that vicious circle, we have the fact that those who are overweight or obese, may feel so bad about themselves that it actually causes the depression in the first place, or the additional weight gained due to medication can exacerbate the problem.

As you can see, it is a complex issue, but thankfully it is one which we have a lot of experience in.

Here at Trifecta Health, under the watchful and expert eye of Dr. Edward Fruitman, M.D., we offer a range of treatment options for weight management issues, and we also recognise the direct link between weight and depression itself.

Self-confidence is a huge part of depression management. If you feel good about yourself, you’re not going to be suffering from low mood as much, or at all. If you’re feeling bad about yourself, the chances of depression being exacerbated or developing is very high indeed. Whenever someone makes contact with us regarding a weight issue, we do a thorough health check and history, checking for any depression issues from the get-go. Every single person who contacts us is different, and for that reason we use a holistic and individual approach to every case.

After we have taken that history and decided that treatment is required, we can then explore the options. Our main weight management options include:

• Obesity medicine - This is a suitable option for those who are classified as obese, and who have tried to lose weight in the past unsuccessfully. This involves taking medications to help curb appetite and is used alongside dietary advice and exercise
• The HCG diet
• Lipotropic vitamin injections - Injections of lipotropic B12 are given, containing a cocktail of vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. These help to boost weight loss, when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise routine

The option you are best suitable for will be discussed with you in detail, and we will also explore the depression side of the problem, to assess whether any treatment is required, or whether the weight loss will help to trigger an improvement.

If you’re suffering from depression, whether it is associated with your weight or not, or if you’re worried about your current weight and want to do something about it, give us a call today to explore your options.