Elizabeth J. Susman, the Jean Phillips Shibley professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State, announced research that produced the first direct correlation of cortisol (a stress hormone) with depression and obesity in women only on February 22, 2010.
http://live.psu.edu/story/44722
The experiments and statistical analysis indicate the effect is only apparent in women (specifically girls 8 to 13 years of age in the study). The result is relevant to all women of any age.
Boys (and men) do not show this chemical relationship.
The researchers surmise that the difference lies in the role of estrogen and the differences in the chemical response to stress between men and women.
Cortisol levels can be analyzed by a simple saliva mouth swab test.
Lorah D. Dorn, professor of pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Samantha Dockray, postdoctoral fellow, University College London were also involved in the research. The team reported its findings in a recent issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
One development from this research could be a class action suit by men who took the cortisol containing weight reduction products against the marketers of those products. The research
proves that the drugs have no weight loss potential in men.
Alabama has a documented obesity rate of 31%.
While the data source does not segregate obesity according to gender, this research could and should be welcome news to those in Alabama who are attempting to address the health problems associated with obesity
Alabama Obesity prevention programs and funding are available through The Alabama Department of Public Health
http://www.adph.org/
Programs include:
State Obesity Task Force
http://www.adph.org/obesity/
Legislative Task Force on Obesity
http://www.adph.org/obesity/assets/legislativeobesityreport.pdf
Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Obesity
http://www.adph.org/obesity/assets/ObesityPlan.pdf
Access to physicians and people who have succeeded in weight loss are available at
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/AL/.
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