Obesity and Stress Pack Doubly Difficult Health Issues

If you're overweight, you may also be at an increased risk for certain stress-related health issues, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even certain types of cancer, according to recent findings published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

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

Researchers at Brandeis University observed overweight and obese individuals with higher levels of stress-induced inflammation. They measured interleukin-6 (IL-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 and classified weight based on several factors, including body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage. Individuals with a BMI of 25 or higher were classified as overweight.

During the first day of testing, lean and overweight individuals reacted similarly to stress despite higher starting levels of IL-6 in overweight participants. Yet on the second day of testing, the IL-6 levels of overweight participants nearly doubled, while the levels of lean participants remained the same as on the first day.

Researchers noted that understanding worldwide weight issues can be particularly difficult as obesity rates have been doubling since 1980.

"We know that there are serious diseases associated with obesity. Now we are one step closer to understanding how and why," she concluded.