Patients with obesity have a higher rate of Vitamin D deficiency than the general population. One major reason is that Vitamin D is fat-soluable, so for the overweight, more of your D is locked up in fat cells and less is readily available in the bloodstream.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to many problems including premature bone loss, impaired immunity and even heart disease. One intriguing new study also correlates low D levels with depression in otherwise healthy women.
People with depression often lack motivation to make positive lifestyle changes. If youʻve struggled with motivation issues on your path to improve your health, and/or fatigue, and especially if you know you have issues with your bones, I highly recommend getting your D level checked along with the rest of your metabolic blood work, as we do in our practice. This new study is not conclusive yet, but the implications are clear. Lifestyle change is hard enough – why fight an uphill metabolic battle?