Depression and marital stress ‘can increase risk of obesity’

Mental health issues and strained personal relationships can increase a person's risk of suffering from obesity, according to a new study.

Carried out by Ohio State University, the research involved 43 healthy couples who had been married for at least three years, and saw them complete questionnaires on topics such as marital satisfaction, past mood disorders and depressive symptoms.

It was shown that men and women with a history of depression whose arguments with spouses were especially heated exhibited several potential metabolic problems after eating a high-fat meal, burning fewer calories and having higher levels of insulin and triglyceride spikes.

Study author Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, director of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University, said: "These findings not only identify how chronic stressors can lead to obesity, but also point to how important it is to treat mood disorders. Interventions for mental health clearly could benefit physical health as well."

With obesity and depression both becoming increasingly prevalent and high-profile medical complaints in the UK, studies such as this serve to aid understanding of common ailments.