Melanocortin signaling connecting systemic metabolism with mood disorders

Obesity and mood disorders are often overlapping pathologies that are prevalent public health concerns. Many studies have indicated a positive correlation between depression and obesity, although weight loss and decreased appetite are also recognized as features of depression. Accordingly, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM –5) defines two subtypes of depression associated with changes in feeding: melancholic depression, characterized by anhedonia and associated with decreased feeding and appetite, and atypical depression, characterized by fatigue, sleepiness, hyperphagia and weight gain.
Source: Biological Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research