Golazin Hoseini - Student Research Committee, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Esmail Soltani - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Najmeh Hejazi - Nutrition Research Center, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Maedeh Gordali - Student Research Committee, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Sohrabi - Nutrition Research Center, Department of Nutrition Community, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Background: High levels of stress in obese people, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disorder, and social pressures can increase cortisol level and lead to psychological disorders. The aim of this study is to compare psychological distress, biochemical parameters, and metabolic syndrome components between normal-weight and overweight (OW)/obese women. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted on ۷۵ women aged ۱۸ to ۶۰; they were divided into three groups: obese and OW on diet (obese/OW on diet), obese and OW without diet (obese/OW without diet), and normal-weight. The components of metabolic syndrome, serum cortisol, and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured. General health questionnaire-۲۸ (GHQ-۲۸) was also completed to assess psychological distress. Result: The results revealed that there was a significant difference between normal weight and the other two groups regarding metabolic syndrome components, which included waist circumference (WC), fasting blood sugar (FBS), systolic blood-pressure (SBP), and hs-CRP (P<۰.۰۵). Serum cortisol level was significantly higher in obese/OW on diet compared with the other two groups (P<۰.۰۰۱). Moreover, the total-GHQ score was significantly lower in normal weight compared with the group of obese/OW on diet and the group without diet (P=۰.۰۰۱).  Conclusion: Being on a diet may expose a person to stress and increase the serum cortisol level. Elevated psychological distress, metabolic syndrome components, and inflammation were apparent in obese and OW women compared to normal-weight ones.

Obesity, Metabolic syndrome, Inflammation, Psychological distress, Diet, Non-communicable diseases