This week, U.S. researchers released the results of a new study that confirms that obesity and depression often occur together. The twin conditions are marked by abnormal levels of a steroid hormone called cortisol. Under normal conditions, the hormone is at its highest level in the early morning, begins to drop in late morning, and is the lowest at night. Lead study author, Dr. Panagiota Pervanidou, of Athens University Medical School in Athens, Greece, commented on the study findings: "Our study indicates that cortisol abnormalities may underlie obesity and depression starting in childhood. ... However, depressed adults have slightly elevated cortisol levels at night the endocrine equivalent of chronic stress."
Recent research has linked chronic elevation of cortisol to the development of abdominal obesity and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Dr. Pervanidou and colleagues examined levels of cortisol five times a day in 50 obese children and teenagers. Participants also completed a depression assessment tool known as the Children's Depression Inventory. High levels of cortisol in the afternoon were correlated with symptoms of depression; the more depressive symptoms reported by participants, the higher the level of cortisol, indicating that the conditions are hormonally linked.
(Source: www.upi.com)
Labels: obesity, depression
Posted By: Aspen Education Group
