New light diet could be key to obesity epidemic
New research (Journal of Neuroscience, Dec 2006) demonstrating the link between serotonin levels and our ability to appreciate the salt and bitterness of food explains why carbohydrate cravings and weight gain are so closely associated with
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
However, this finding also goes a long way towards explaining the mechanism that links the obesity epidemic with lifestyle changes over the last twenty years.
Classical SAD where clinical depression is actually diagnosed by psychiatric assessment affects 2-5% of the population but over 40% of us suffer sub-syndromal SAD or ‘winter blues’. This typically involves carbohydrate craving, lethargy, lack of energy and depressed mood. The traditional treatment of winter blues is the prescription of SSRIs such as fluoxetine (Prozac).
The cause is actually a crucial lack of bright sunlight first thing in the morning which is necessary to turn off the production of melatonin – the sleep hormone. Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland by the conversion of serotonin. Therefore a lack of morning sunlight is directly responsible for high levels of melatonin and low serotonin resulting in the typical SAD symptoms.
Research by Dan Kripke in California has demonstrated that our 21st Century lifestyle means that most of us are permanently light-deprived and half the population could suffer non-seasonal symptoms similar to SAD even in a Californian summer. A simple lack of bright sunlight could be a key factor in the national epidemics of obesity and depression.
The ‘cure’ is well-known to SAD sufferers and can be achieved with a simple 15 minute dose of bright
light therapy on waking. But not just any light! The melatonin mechanism is triggered by light at the key wavelength of 460-470nm and this is exactly what is produced by the revolutionary Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in the Litebook elite. Light therapy has been shown to be as effective as fluoxetine (Prozac) in the treatment of seasonal depression with fewer side effects and more rapid onset (Am J Psych. May 2006)
Clinical trials into childhood obesity and chronic fatigue in children are already in the planning stage and it is hoped that funding can be found to run a trial on the use of Litebook light therapy in adult weight control. The confirmation that light therapy offers a low cost, simple and drug-free solution to weight gain could revolutionise our approach to the obesity problem.
Obesity and Light Therapy 
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