A Dutch study, which included 2100 older people, says that there is a possible link between abdominal fat and depression in older people.

In this study, these older people underwent screening for depression at the beginning of the study and their abdominal as well as overall body fat levels were also noticed at that time, and then after five years they were checked again.

After adjusting social, demographic and other weight change relevant factors, the researchers found that their depression linked to higher abdominal and visceral fat.

Nicole Vogelzangs, the lead author of the study, says: “We didn’t find the same sort of link between depression and overall obesity and the depressive symptoms in these older people were found particularly linked with abdominal fat.”

According to the researchers, depression may help to add in abdominal fat in various ways, as depression seems to activate some particular areas in brain that increases the levels of a hormone known as cortisol and it helps in visceral fat accumulation. Similarly, depressed people often opt for unhealthy behaviors like poor lifestyle and diet and that may also be some contributing factors in this connection.

The researchers conclude that depression seems to increase abdominal obesity in older people and the link between depression and abdominal obesity is stronger than overall obesity and depression.