Did you know that depression and obesity are closely linked? Feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, or low self-worth can lead to overeating unhealthy foods and weight gain, and seeing this physical change can worsen your mood and trigger further overeating. This is often called emotional eating, and it’s more common than you may think.
What’s more, once you decide to make a change and begin your weight-loss journey, the frustration can continue. Sustaining healthy eating and regular exercise as part of your lifestyle can be extremely difficult without understanding the emotional triggers behind your habits or receiving guidance from a medical professional to help you get the most out of your efforts.
The link between mental health and weight concerns has become a serious issue that deserves attention this October during World Mental Health Month. Through our work at Dr Smook and Partners, managed by RxME Group, we therefore focus on helping patients understand the connection between mental health and weight management, and explore how both can be addressed in a healthy way.
Why do we eat when we’re stressed, sad, or depressed?
A 2024 study of more than 300 women grappling with weight issues and obesity, published in the Nutrition Journal, found that as many as 64.4% of participants particularly struggled with emotional eating. Notably, emotional eating often leads to increased intake of sweets, pastries, salty snacks, and highly processed foods, taking in more calories but fewer essential nutrients like calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.
It’s a worrying trend, especially as data from the Global Obesity Observatory shows that one in four South African adults is overweight and one in three is obese, including more than 40% of women.
Tackling South Africa’s obesity and overeating problems means understanding how stress, anxiety, and low self-worth fuel unhealthy eating habits. Access to medical and psychological support is essential to help people break that cycle and regain control of their health and weight.
Whether you’re embarking on a weight-loss journey with support from medical professionals like Dr Smook and Partners, or choosing to do it your own way, here are six steps you can take to support weight-loss and help improve mental health:
Start with a medical baseline
A full check-up from a medical professional before starting a weight-loss programme can help to identify underlying issues such as thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, or nutrient deficiencies that may slow progress and impact mood. Understanding these factors early can prevent unnecessary frustration.
Don’t fixate on numbers on a scale
A kilogram up here, and a kilogram down there, can make you feel like you’re not progressing from one day to the next. It’s better to have weekly weigh-ins and focus on how you feel, how your clothes fit, how much your energy improves, and whether you’re meeting your nutrition and activity goals each day. It also helps to take monthly progress photos and compare them over a long enough period to see how significant the changes actually are.
Develop a supporting community
Trying to lose weight all by yourself can be stressful, making it harder to be consistent. Having someone on your side, a friend, a mentor, or a group on the same weight-loss journey, helps you take accountability and push through setbacks, and gives you someone to lean on when you’re faced with a hurdle.
Take advantage of structured nutrition supplements
Medically designed supplements such as PeptoMeal, available through Dr Smook & Partners, provide steady nutrition that helps prevent energy crashes and triggers for overeating. By keeping the body and mind fuelled, these supplements can help to support consistency, reduce stress from cravings, and supply the protein, fibre, healthy fats, and carbohydrates needed during dieting.
Build in mental health checkpoints
Mood changes, anxiety, or negative self-talk can surface during weight-loss journeys. Regular check-ins with a doctor, dietitian, or counsellor may help to address these early before they disrupt progress. Structured conversations about mental well-being will keep the focus on your overall health, not just your physical changes.
Address body-image changes
Reaching a healthier weight can bring changes that feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable. From adjusting to a new appearance to concerns about skin elasticity, these shifts can carry a heavy emotional weight. The Longevity Centre by RxME offers safe, professional aesthetic treatments to help patients feel confident in their changing bodies and support their mental wellbeing.
A two-tiered approach that includes weight-loss and aesthetic improvement is critical to helping people feel more confident in their own bodies. That’s why working with qualified medical professionals who take a holistic approach that combines medical treatment, nutritional guidance, and mental health support is so important for achieving lasting results.
When physical and emotional well-being are treated together, patients can feel empowered to make changes that truly last, not just during Mental Health Awareness Month, but throughout their lives.
