Are body weight changes depressogenic? Even intentional weight loss correlates with increased depressive symptomatology among overweight or obese adults in the United States

•Obesity relates to depression, but weight changes’ connections to mood are unclear.•A United States national sample of overweight or obese adults participated.•Weight gains and losses, even intentional losses, correlated with higher depression.•Some weight loss methods correlated with higher, and others lower, depression.•Weight losses possibly contribute to depression, but weight loss methods matter.