WEIGHT LOSS IMPROVES MOOD IN DEPRESSED PEOPLE, STUDY SHOWS

A study, presented on Tuesday at the Annual Meeting of the U.S.Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour (SSIB) showed that weight loss programme could improve depressed mood and reduce risk factors for heart disease in obese patients.

The study revealed that after a six-month behavioral weight loss programme, the depressed patients lost eight percent of their initial weight and improvedsignificantly in their symptoms of depression. also revealed that there isa reduction in triglycerides, the risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

The report, cited by Xinhua news agency, reported that fifty-one depressedand non-depressed subjects were recruited into the study to follow a supervisedweight loss programme that included lifestyle modification and mealreplacements.

Both depressed and non-depressed subjects lost significant amounts ofweight, with depressed individuals losing eight percent of their initial bodyweight, compared with 11 percent loss by non-depressed individuals. After six months on the weight loss programme, depressed subjects also showedsignificant improvement of their depressive symptoms based on a questionnaire.

Additional significant improvements in glucose, insulin and high densitylipoprotein cholesterol were observed in both depressed and non-depressedsubjects, and depressed individuals showed reduced levels of triglycerides inthe blood, which have been linked to risk of heart disease and stroke.

"Depression and obesity are independently associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and so reductions in both body weight and symptoms of depression are likely to improve long-term health outcomes," said Dr. Lucy Faulconbridge, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, who is alsolead author of the study, Xinhua said.

Faulconbridge said the latest findings suggested that depressed, obese individuals can indeed lose clinically significant amounts of weight, and that weight loss can actually reduce symptoms of depression. It also highlight the need for further research into the effects of weightloss in individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders.