A new study has revealed that marital hostility and a history of depression can increase the risk for obesity in adults by altering how the body processes high-fat foods.
The study found that men and women who had a history of depression whose arguments with spouses were especially heated showed several potential metabolic problems after eating a high-fat meal and burned fewer calories and had higher levels of insulin and spikes of triglycerides - a form of fat in the blood - after eating a heavy meal when compared to participants without these risk factors.
The reduced calorie-burning in the seven hours after a single meal - 118 fewer calories, on average, by previously depressed people with marital discord - translates to weight gain of up to 12 pounds in a year. And the multiple problems add up to the potential for metabolic syndrome - the presence of at least three of five factors that increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, director of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at The Ohio State University and lead author of the study, said that 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.
Kiecolt-Glaser added that their results probably underestimate the health risks because the effects of only one meal were analyzed. Most people eat every four to five hours, and often dine with their spouses and meals provide prime opportunities for ongoing disagreements in a troubled marriage, so there could be a longstanding pattern of metabolic damage stemming from hostility and depression.
