The Effect of Obesity on Depression, Anxiety and Hedonic Hunger in Adult Individuals

Abstract

Aim: Obesity negatively affects people's quality of life. Many studies have shown that there is a serious connection between obesity and psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. At the same time, obesity stimulates the feeling of pleasure towards foods, causing more food consumption. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between depression, anxiety and hedonic hunger in obese individuals.
Method: In this research, scanning model was used based on the quantitative research method. The population and sample group of the research consists of a total of 400 volunteer participants,
348 women and 52 men, aged 18-60, with a body mass index of 30 and above, living in Diyarbakır. The survey form prepared as a data collection technique was collected face to face and online. The socio-demographic form, Beck depression scale (BDI), Beck anxiety scale (BAI) and Food Migration Scale (FDI) were applied to the participants.Conclusion: There are many studies showing a connection between psychological disorders and eating behavior. It has been observed that people tend to eat more in situations such as depression and anxiety. It has been observed in many studies that the degree of obesity increases due to the increase in the amount of food consumed just for pleasure and pleasure, without any need for hedonic hunger. As a result, this study revealed that as the degree of obesity increases, levels of depression, anxiety and hedonic hunger increase.
Key words:  Obesity, Depression, Hedonic Hunger