In Short, yes it can. Depression has been associated with weight gain or weight loss. It’s usually a matter of degree; when people are mild to moderately depressed, they tend to eat more. Some people refer to this as “stress eating.” When someone is very depressed, they sometimes stop eating altogether and, in severe cases, may even have to be hospitalized and fed intravenously. There is a known association between decreased serotonin – which is associated with depression – and increased appetite/hunger. (Interestingly, studies have shown that people with anorexia nervosa have abnormally increased serotonin activity which may partly explain how they can eat so little.)
