Food and exercise can treat depression as well as a psychologist, our study found. And it’s cheaper.
Medical Xpress / The Conversation / The Lancet | Aug. 3, 2024 | Adrienne O’Neil and Sophie Mahoney

Our world-first trial…

Or first-world trial?

…shows improving diet and doing more physical activity can be as effective as therapy with a psychologist for treating low-grade depression.

Our trial targeted people with elevated distress, meaning at least mild depression but not necessarily a diagnosed mental disorder. Typical symptoms included feeling down, hopeless, irritable or tearful.

In other words, voters.

We partnered with our local mental health service to recruit 182 adults and provided group-based sessions on Zoom.

Zoom being group-based by definition.

All participants took part in up to six sessions over eight weeks, facilitated by health professionals.

Half were randomly assigned to participate in a program co-facilitated by an accredited practicing dietitian and an exercise physiologist. That group—called the lifestyle program—developed nutrition and movement goals:

– eating a wide variety of foods – choosing high-fiber plant foods – including high-quality fats…

Such as bacon?

– limiting discretionary foods,…

Such as bacon.

… such as those high in saturated fats and added sugars – doing enjoyable physical activity.

Mmmm . . .

The second group took part in psychotherapy sessions convened by two psychologists. The psychotherapy program used cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the gold standard for treating depression in groups and when delivered remotely.

In both groups, participants could continue existing treatments (such as taking antidepressant medication).

We found similar results in each program.

Over eight weeks, those scores showed symptoms of depression reduced for participants in the lifestyle program (42%) and the psychotherapy program (37%).

There were some differences between groups. People in the lifestyle program improved their diet, while those in the psychotherapy program felt they had increased their social support—meaning how connected they felt to other people—compared to at the start of the treatment.

There was also not much difference in cost. The lifestyle program was slightly cheaper to deliver: A$482 per participant, versus $503 for psychotherapy.

Over what period of time? Per session? That’s a hell of an expensive meal. Over two months? That’s a hell of a cheap psychotherapist.

Aw, the heck with it — just get a 40-Hz gamma machine.