Even without a scientific study to tell us, we may sense a relationship between alcohol abuse, depression and obesity. Maybe you’ve known someone who suffers from all three or we’ve noticed the pattern in ourselves. There is a connection between alcohol abuse, depression and obesity that puts young women at risk for not just developing one of these major health problems but all three.
In a study funded by The National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute of Mental Health, the University of Washington collected data on 776 women when they were 24, 27, and 30 years of age. What the study found was that nearly half met the criteria for alcohol abuse, depression, and obesity at the different ages. Women suffering with alcohol abuse at age 24 were more than three times as likely to be obese when they were 27. Women who were obese at 27 were more than twice as likely to be depressed when they were 30. Women who were depressed at 27 were more than twice as likely to be depressed when they were 30. And women who were depressed at 27 were at an increased risk for alcohol abuse at 30.
What is at the root of the relationship between alcohol abuse, depression and obesity in young women? Scientists think it may be related to the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the reward pathway of the brain; the same pathways reward both food and alcohol intake. An underlying stress mechanism may also link depression with alcohol abuse and obesity. All three of these are serious health problems and early prevention or intervention is important. Stress management can be a key intervention tool. Also, awareness that when a young woman is receiving care for either alcohol abuse, depression and obesity, precautions need to be taken for the other conditions as well.
