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Seasonal Affective Disorder
Q:
Since my sister moved to Washington state
a year ago she has gained over 40 pounds.
She has been very depressed, she sleeps all
the time but she is always tired, and
she
cannot quit drinking Dr. Pepper. She says
some days she drinks 6 or 7 cans. I read
something
recently about a condition called Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD). Could her weight
gain be caused by this condition?
A:
If your sister has been clinically diagnosed
with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) her
Dr. Pepper habit and weight gain may have
been influenced by the condition. Six Dr.
Peppers a day is 900 calories. The increase
in calories and sleep create the environment
are just the recipe for weight gain.
SAD
is a condition seen in the winter months and
is more prevalent in the northern states and
countries that have long dark winters and
cloudy rainy weather. In Alaska for example,
as much as 10% of the population is estimated
to have SAD whereas Florida only has about
a 1%. Researchers believe SAD results from
the shorter day length in the winter when
it is dark and cold. When the warm weather
and sun come back in the spring and summer
SAD affected people return to normal.
In
addition to depression the most common symptoms
of SAD are
- Extreme
fatigue
- Increased
need for sleep
- Sleeping
more than usual
- Carbohydrate
cravings (usually for simple sugars) and
increased appetite
- Weight
gain
In
a study at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration
Medical Center, SAD subjects reported consuming
larger or double servings of sweets such as
chocolate, ice cream and cake during winter
months. Their appetites for sweets subsided
to normal in the spring and summer. Researchers
tested SAD subjects for taste acuity for sweets.
They concluded that SAD sufferers had blunted
taste acuity in the winter months causing
them to choose more intense tasting sugary
foods, and sweets.
Moving
from a sunny place to the west coast region
of Washington State where it is cloudy and
rainy approximately 8 months out of the year
could have a dramatic impact on any person
with SAD.
For
more information on SAD, diagnosis and treatment
options contact:
The
National Mental Health Association
NMHA Information Center
1021 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2971
1-800-9696642
I
hope this helped. Please
contact me for further information or if you have another question!
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