Obesity ‘can increase risk of stress-related diseases’

Being obese can put people at an elevated risk of experiencing a stress-related disease, according to a new study from the US.

Carried out by Brandeis University, the research measured interleukin-6, an inflammatory agent linked to stress, to evaluate inflammation levels in normal-weight and overweight individuals over the course of two psychological stress tests.

It was found that IL-6 levels in overweight participants nearly doubled after two days of testing, while the levels of lean participants remained the same as on the first day. A direct link between BMI and IL-6 measurements was observed.

This suggests that overweight people could be at greater risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Psychology professor Nicolas Rohleder, the study's principal investigator, said: "We've known that overweight and obese individuals already have chronic low-grade inflammation. Now, it seems that when you add stress to the mix, it's a double hit."

Obesity is estimated to affect around one in every four adults and one in five children aged 10 to 11 in the UK, with both figures likely to increase in the years to come.