A new link between body fat and anxiety has been identified

In a groundbreaking study, researchers from McMaster University have identified a new link between body fat (adipose tissue) and anxiety, shedding light on the confounding relationship between metabolism and mental health.

The findings, published in the prestigious journal  Nature Metabolism on April 15, 2025, are particularly relevant to the rise in anxiety and obesity, highlighting the importance of understanding the biological processes underlying them.

“Understanding the link between adipose tissue and anxiety opens new paths for research and potential treatments.”

Gregory Steinberg, senior author of the paper and professor at McMaster University School of Medicine

“Our findings highlight the complex relationship between metabolism and mental health, and we hope this will lead to improvements for people suffering from anxiety,” says Steinberg, Canada Research Chair in Metabolism and Obesity and co-director of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research at McMaster.

The research team found that psychological stress, which triggers the “fight or flight” response, initiates a process called lipolysis in fat cells. This process leads to the release of fat, which in turn stimulates the release of the hormone GDF15 from immune cells located in the fat tissue. GDF15 then binds to the brain, resulting in anxiety. The researchers came to this conclusion through a series of carefully designed experiments involving mice. Behavioral tests assessed anxiety-like behavior, and molecular analyses identified the pathways that were activated. A clear link was established between metabolic changes in adipose tissue and anxiety, providing new insights into the interaction between metabolism and mental health.

“These findings offer exciting possibilities for developing new treatments for anxiety using metabolic pathways,” says the paper’s first author and a research associate at McMaster.

By understanding how stress-induced changes in fat cells can affect anxiety, scientists will be able to develop innovative therapeutic strategies that target these metabolic processes, potentially allowing for more effective and targeted treatments for people suffering from anxiety disorders. Several companies are developing GDF15 blockers for the treatment of cancer, so it is possible that they may well find use for anxiety as well.

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Published: 16.04.2025

Updated: 16.04.2025

Medical author, Medical editor:

Stepan Yuk

Medical expert:

PhD. Olexandr Voznyak