Skinny women at a increased risk of depression: Study

Skinny women at a increased risk of depression: Study

ISLAMABAD (APP): A significant chunk of skinny people battle with body image issues and depression too, a study said.

The South Korean based study conducted in the Seoul National University of Medicine in South Korea, revealed that both men and women are affected by negative thoughts of their thin body frame, reported health news.

"It seems that the current ideal of thinness affects women more than their male counterparts and causes more psychological distress in women, which can, in turn, lead to depression," the authors stated." the authors of the study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry stated.

The researchers analysed the data from over 183 different studies showed that malnutrition has a negative effect on people's mood as well, as maintaining a healthy weight is essential for mental health.

The study is especially important, because it is essential that the medical care providers to re-look their clinical span of attention and also pay attention to the mental health of people who are underweight.

"This large study confirms that optimal nutrition is fundamentally important for physical and mental health. Both being underweight and obese is associated with an increased risk of depression," Dr Agnes Ayton, vice-chairman of the eating disorders faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists said.

"It is an important finding, as people with eating disorders often assume that losing weight will improve their happiness," Ayton added.