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Obesity linked to
depression, vice versa
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Obesity appears to be linked to a
raised risk of depression, and depression also appears to be linked to a
raised risk of developing obesity, says a research.
The finding has been published in the March issue of Archives of General
Psychiatry , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"Both depression and obesity are widely spread problems with major public
health implications," the authors write as background information in the
article. "Because of the high prevalence of both depression and obesity, and
the fact that they both carry an increased risk for cardiovascular disease,
a potential association between depression and obesity has been presumed and
repeatedly been examined."
To reach the conclusion, Floriana S. Luppino, M.D., of Leiden University
Medical Center and GGZ Rivierduinen, Leiden, the Netherlands, and colleagues
analyzed the results of 15 previously published studies involving 58,745
participants that examined the longitudinal (over time) relationship between
depression and overweight or obesity.
"We found bidirectional associations between depression and obesity: obese
persons had a 55 per cent increased risk of developing depression over time,
whereas depressed persons had a 58 per cent increased risk of becoming
obese," the authors write. "The association between depression and obesity
was stronger than the association between depression and overweight, which
reflects a dose-response gradient."
Evidence of a biological link between overweight, obesity and depression
remains uncertain and complex, but several theories have been proposed, the
authors note.
Obesity may be considered an inflammatory state, and inflammation is
associated with the risk of depression. Because thinness is considered a
beauty ideal in both the United States and Europe, being overweight or obese
may contribute to body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem that places
individuals at risk for depression. Conversely, depression may increase
weight over time through interference with the endocrine system or the
adverse effects of antidepressant medication.
The findings are important for clinical practice, the authors note. "Because
weight gain appears to be a late consequence of depression, care providers
should be aware that within depressive patients weight should be monitored.
In overweight or obese patients, mood should be monitored. This awareness
could lead to prevention, early detection and co-treatment for the ones at
risk, which could ultimately reduce the burden of both conditions," they
conclude.
( Courtesy: ANI )
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