The Relationship between Obesity and Depression Among African-American Male Adolescents - Essay Example

"The Relationship between Obesity and Depression Among African-American Male Adolescents" is an outstanding example of a paper on depression.
As with many terms, depression is oftentimes misunderstood and missed categorized. Within society, depression oftentimes has a different connotation as compared to the true medical definition that is oftentimes utilized by practitioners as a means of defining the overall psychological health of an individual patient. For purposes of this brief analysis, depression will be defined as follows: “a psychiatric disorder or a complement of various psychoses, with symptoms of misery, anguish, or guilt accompanied by headache, insomnia etc.”  Even within this rather structure definition, the reader can come to understand that a litany of different disorders exists under this “umbrella” term.  Moreover, research into the field of psychiatry has revealed that nearly 10% of the adult population within the United States suffers from one form or other of depression (Hammerton et al., 2014). Taken at face value, this is a disorder that affects the lives of millions.  Accordingly, seeking to tackle an issue as broad as depression, in general, would require the length of several dissertations to accomplish fully. However, for purposes of this discussion, the student will present the reader with an analysis of the correlation between obesity and depression within African American males within the greater Los Angeles area.

Nursing Implications:

For years, medical researchers have understood that there is oftentimes a definitive link between depression and other physiological issues that the individual patient might be experiencing. Oftentimes, these relationships are causal and can be definitively linked to the prevalence of depression itself (Roberts & Duong, 2011). Other times, a particular physiological symptom or disorder is what ultimately prompts the individual into depression as such. However, regardless of this differential, it is necessary to note that many medical researchers have clearly indicated that there exists a direct correlation between obesity and the overall levels of depression; specifically amongst adolescent African American men. Due to the fact that obesity is oftentimes viewed within society as an indication of weakness or lack of self-control, individuals who suffer from obesity are oftentimes ridiculed and/or singled out for abusive treatment amongst their peers (Hoare et al., 2014). As a result of this abusive treatment and the degradation of self-image that corresponds to it, many individuals develop severe forms of depression. Sadly, even though this depression is evident within a litany of different individuals, only a very small percentage of them are ever diagnosed or seek help concerning the issue at hand. Ideologically speaking, the depression can oftentimes create a situation in which tertiary medical issues come to be quite common. Some of these include the following: eating disorders, for socialization, learning disabilities, and a litany of others (Boutelle et al., 2012).

Conclusion:

As can be seen from the preceding discussion, the effect of adolescent obesity upon a particular demographic can have far-reaching repercussions; not only with respect to the overall health of the patient but with respect to the way in which development and socialization take place as well. Rather than treating a particular issue in terms of a narrow focus, the medical practitioner should be fully aware of the fact that secondary and tertiary impacts can easily be reflected in the overall Outlook of the patient who suffers from adolescent obesity.