Anxiety is a common mental problem that affects middle-aged women. A new study finds that the amount of abdominal fat in women is linked to the development of anxiety. The findings of the study are published in Menopause the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
Everyone is familiar with the term "stress eating" that, among other things, can lead to a thicker waistline. In this study that analyzed data from more than 5,580 middle-aged Latin American women (mean age, 49.7 years), the cause-and-effect relationship was flipped to determine whether greater abdominal fat (defined as waist-to-height ratio in this instance) could increase a woman's chances of developing anxiety. Although this is not the first time this relationship has been examined, this study is the first of its kind known to use waist-to-height ratio as the specific link to anxiety. Waist-to-height ratio has been shown to be the indicator that best assesses cardiometabolic risk. A general guideline is that a woman is considered obese if her waist measures more than half of her height.
Anxiety - Symptom Evaluation
Anxiety is a state of mind where a person experiences fear, uneasiness, tension, irritability or apprehension in response to an unfamiliar stressful situation or object.
The article "Association between waist-to-height ratio and anxiety in middle-aged women: a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional multicenter Latin American study" reports that 58% of the study population were postmenopausal, and 61.3% reported experiencing anxiety. The study found that those women in the middle and upper thirds of waist-to-height ratios were significantly more likely to have anxiety, and those in the upper third were more likely to actually display signs of anxiety compared with women in the lower two-thirds.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is a common mental health problem where a person is abnormally fearful of social situations, sometimes severe enough to affect daily life.
"Hormone changes may be involved in the development of both anxiety and abdominal obesity because of their roles in the brain as well as in fat distribution. This study provides valuable insights for healthcare providers treating middle-aged women, because it implies that waist-to-height ratio could be a good marker for evaluating patients for anxiety," says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director.
Source: Medindia
Anxiety Attack
Anxiety attacks, also called panic attacks, can spoil your life. Get your life back by understanding what causes anxiety attack and how to cope with it.
 Anxiety Helps in Identifying the Symptoms of Heart AttackPeople suffering with severe anxiety disorders were able to quickly identify the symptoms of heart attack and seek medical attention earlier. | Advertisement
|
Recommended Readings
Latest Women Health News
