[retrac]

Depression impairs motivation, decreases tolerance of physical discomfort, and is also associated with impairment of planning abilities, and also has a correlation with eating disorders.

Occam's razor: the depressed can't plan and then cook a good meal for themselves, and so buy ready-to-eat processed food.

Anecdotally, when I was younger and very poor, I could not eat well unless I did everything from scratch -- several hours of work a day in the kitchen. When I got depressed, I'd try to cook while hungry, and get more and more agitated at my discomfort until I lost emotional control, and nothing got cooked. Cry. Eat instant noodles or crackers. Repeat the next day. When I finally made or got my hands on a proper hot meal with protein, my mood would noticeably improve.

My mood is still very susceptible to my diet, but these days I can afford stop-gap solutions to having no energy to cook, like just getting some reasonably healthy takeout.

[andrei_says_]

Also impulse control and relationship to instant gratification and addictive behaviors.

Processed foods are formulated to induce addictive behavior.

[ShamelessC]

Oh well in that case yeah throw out any concerns or criticisms. `retrac`'s anecdote and invocation of the law of Occam's Razor is proof that the study is iron clad.

[avgcorrection]

Or realize that on such a painful and personal subject that some people will share their personal anecdotes—totally unscientific, oh my!