So why do good-looking athletes in sports get endorsements ranging in the millions as opposed to those who play board games such as chess?
Now before you go ahead and answer this question in a scholarly manner, please remember that this was something that an ex-colleague and myself laughed at so hard due to the fact that the answer was so "obvious".
Yes it was a study which wanted to establish the link between the physical attributes (whether they were good looking or not) of an athlete and the amount of money they made through endorsements and payment in competing in a team or individual sport.
My accomplished colleague also asked, "Which university would want to wast their time and money on even conducting such a study as obvious as this one?"
Yet while this link is so obvious, there are others "connections" being closely studied in the field of health that are anything but.
Food and Depression: Does a link exist between the two?
Perhaps there are examples in society that leans towards an answer that is a simple "Yes" but since data is what makes a theory a fact, there have been several studies that have indicated that there does exist a link.
According to this study and this one, a woman or man's diet might have a lot to do with anxiety and depression, and in maintaining a high-fat diet, this could even fuel mood disorders.
But there's another way of looking at this link…
In the event when you have to go through a breakup with your boyfriend, there is a phase of depression that kicks in. In the worst case scenario, some people move towards heavy drinking and drugs (mostly the men, I think) whereas the women tend to move towards making themselves feel good by stuffing themselves with rich (er… if consumed in excess, it can be considered as unhealthy) foods.
Yes, the link does exist both ways yet it's strange how this habit of unhealthy eating is a result of your own self-esteem or the lack of it.
And there's another twist to the tale: people who are already obese tend to have a self-esteem problem, and the disaster is when they look at themselves in the mirror. You can be sure that this turns into a vicious circle because how they perceive themselves in the mirror tend to lower their self-esteem, and well, they're out making excuses and binging on food again…
Perhaps the biggest example of eating unhealthy food and depression is the fact that Morgan Spurlock who made the Academy Award nominated documentary Supersize Me went through lethargy and depression during his 30-day binge on McDonalds food. The doctors who were checking up on him every 10 days believed so.
And finally, if a link did not exist between the two, there would be no such thing as 'feel-good' foods…
In Closing
Whether or not there is conclusive evidence to suggest that there is direct link between unhealthy eating and depression (or mood disorders), the truth is that everyone wants to "look good" (except for those damned athletes).
Taking care of yourself is your own responsibility, you know… and here is an article that might get you started.
Feel free to share with us your thought on the link between unhealthy eating and depression…
