system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does depression cause lack of appetite in some and over-eating practices in others?
gpt
Because depression is not a one-size-fits-all disease. There are many different kinds of depression and how they affect a person depends on not only what type of depression they have but also the extent to which they have it and the circumstances surrounding it and how they're treating it. Depression tends to suppress the appetite, but certain foods provide comfort to people, so they might eat those foods even if they don't feel particularly hungry, because they're seeking relief and comfort. These foods tend to be highly processed, though, and there's strong evidence to suggest that highly processed foods actually exacerbate depression, so it becomes a cycle. The food isn't being eaten because of hunger or to satisfy a nutritional need...its purely for comfort, and the more comfort you need, the more you might over-indulge in those foods.