June is Men's Mental Health Month — and this year, we want to talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough attention: the powerful connection between body weight and mental wellbeing.
If you're living with overweight or obesity, you may already know the physical challenges that can come with it. But did you know that your weight can also affect how you feel emotionally, and that mental health struggles can make it harder to manage your weight? Understanding this two-way connection is an important step toward taking better care of yourself, in every sense.
Mental Health in Men: A Real — and Often Hidden — Problem
Men's mental health is something society doesn't always make it easy to talk about. But the numbers don't lie:
- Around 7.9 million American men experienced a major depressive episode in 2021 — that's about 1 in 16 men. 1
- More than 6 million men in the U.S. live with anxiety or phobias. 2
- Men are twice as likely as women to die by suicide globally, and up to four times more likely in the U.S. 2
One major reason these figures are so stark? Men are far less likely to ask for help. Many men push through emotional pain in silence, often without realizing that what they're experiencing is a medical condition — not a personal failing.
Feeling low, anxious, withdrawn, or just "not yourself" are signs worth paying attention to — just like chest pain or a sprained ankle.
How Common Is Overweight and Obesity?
You're far from alone if you're carrying extra weight. Overweight and obesity have become a global health challenge: worldwide, 43% of adults are overweight, and 16% are living with obesity. 3 In the United States, nearly 39% of men are classified as obese and another 36% are overweight. 4
Most people know that excess weight can raise the risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. But fewer people realize that weight can also have a deep impact on emotional and mental health.
The Weight–Mental Health Connection: What the Research Shows
Being overweight or obese raises your risk of depression
- People who are overweight or living with obesity have a 30–70% higher chance of developing a mental health condition like depression. 5
- A major study of more than 12,000 older Australian men found that those with obesity were 31% more likely to develop depression over a 10-year period. 6
- Men who also had metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and excess belly fat) had a staggering 137% higher risk of depression. 6
Depression and anxiety can lead to weight gain
- People with mental health conditions are 2–3 times more likely to become obese. 5
- Depression and anxiety often lead to less physical activity, poor food choices, disrupted sleep, and higher alcohol use — all of which contribute to weight gain. 5
- Some medications for mental health conditions can also affect appetite and weight.
It starts early — even in teenagers
- Teenagers who are obese have a 40% higher risk of depression. Teenagers who are depressed have a 70% higher risk of becoming obese. 5
- Research suggests that while teenage girls show a stronger general link between weight and mental health, teenage boys are actually more emotionally sensitive to increases in their own weight. 7
The takeaway: weight and mental health are closely connected. You can't fully address one without considering the other.
Why Men Often Suffer in Silence
Depression in men often doesn't look the way you might expect. Instead of tearfulness or sadness, men are more likely to show signs like:
- Irritability, frustration, or anger
- Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities you used to enjoy
- Increased drinking or substance use
- Reckless behavior or taking unnecessary risks
- Physical symptoms like headaches, digestive problems, or chronic pain with no clear cause
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Feeling empty, flat, or "burnt out"
If any of these sound familiar, it may be worth talking to someone. Men are less likely than women to report emotional or psychological symptoms to their doctor, which means men often don't get the support they need.
How to Bring Up Mental Health with Your Doctor or Health Care Provider
We know it's not always easy to raise emotional or mental health concerns in a medical appointment — especially if you're there for something else, like weight management or a physical checkup. But your mental health is part of your overall health, and your provider needs to know the full picture to help you properly.
Here are some practical ways to start the conversation:
- Write it down beforehand: Jot down how you've been feeling emotionally before your appointment. Even a few words or phrases can help you remember what to say in the moment. You could simply hand your provider the note if talking feels hard.
- Be direct — even if it feels awkward: Try saying something like: "I've been feeling really low lately, and I'm not sure if it's related to my weight." Or: "I've been struggling more than usual with stress, and I wanted to mention it." You don't need to start with specifics; opening the door to the subject is enough.
- Use a questionnaire as a starting point: Many clinics use simple screening questionnaires for depression and anxiety. If yours doesn't offer one, you can ask: "Is there a quick survey I can fill out about how I've been feeling mentally?" This takes the pressure off having to explain everything verbally.
- Mention physical symptoms too: If you've been having headaches, trouble sleeping, low energy, or low interest in activities you normally enjoy, mention those too. These can be signs of depression or anxiety, and they give your provider important context.
- Ask to be referred: If your regular doctor isn't a mental health specialist, you can ask: "Should I see someone who specializes in mental health?" You have every right to ask for a referral.
- Bring someone you trust: A partner, friend, or family member who has noticed changes in your mood or behavior can sometimes help explain what you've been going through — and having support in the room can make these conversations easier.
You don't have to have the "right words." Just being honest with your provider about how you've been feeling is a powerful first step.
Treating Both Together: Why It Matters
One of the most important messages from recent research is that weight and mental health need to be treated together. Focusing only on one without addressing the other often means the benefits don't last.
If you're working on your weight, your health care provider should also be checking in on your emotional wellbeing. And if you're being treated for depression or anxiety, your weight should be part of the conversation too. Both conditions feed into each other, and both deserve attention.
The good news is that there are now more tools than ever to help with weight management, including medications that work with your body's own hunger-regulating hormones. You've likely heard of "GLP-1s"; these are specific medications that are synthetic versions of a natural hormone called glycogen-like peptide-1. This hormone is one of the "stop eating" hormones, and medications like Ozempic/Wegovy or Mounjaro/Zepbound that mimic GLP-1 have proven very effective in helping people lose weight. But many people can't or don't want to use these medications, whether for financial, discomfort or medical reasons (such as side effects). Fortunately, there's another choice: Calocurb®, a nutraceutical supplement.
Calocurb contains a purified extract of bitter hop flowers (Amarasate®) that helps increase your body's production of its natural GLP-1 — enough in a clinical study to reduce calorie intake by 18%. 8 It even works in fasting, helping men reduce their overall hunger by 25% during a 24-h water fast. 9 Calocurb is an easy-to-swallow capsule that you take an hour or so before any meal you want to eat less of, or an hour before a time when you typically get unwanted "munchies" (e.g., if you're fighting late-night snacking). You can use Calocurb as an alternative to GLP-1s, as a way to come off these medications (and to maintain your weight loss afterwards) or at the same time as them. By using Calocurb simultaneously as the prescription GLP-1s, patients have been able to reduce their dose of the medications (and have fewer side effects and lower costs). What's more, your body's normal production of its natural GLP-1 is almost completely blunted by the medications, 10 so it's thought that Calocurb may be helpful in preventing this. Another thing to consider as a male taking GLP-1 medications is that their effectiveness is less in men compared to women, 11 so perhaps adding in Calocurb will help increase it.
It's important to remember that medications and clinically proven supplements like Calocurb, combined with mental health support and healthy lifestyle changes, can make a real difference.
A Note on Men's Health This June
Men's Mental Health Month is a reminder that looking after your mental health isn't weakness — it's one of the smartest things you can do for yourself, your family, and everyone who counts on you.
If you're carrying extra weight and have been struggling emotionally, you're not imagining things — there is a real, well-documented connection. And if you've been dealing with depression or anxiety, your weight is worth addressing too.
You deserve support for both. This June, take a step toward getting it.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a health care provider or contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
