C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.

Low levels of oxytocin have been found in individuals with a Body Mass Index 30 or above. Obviously there are numerous possibilities for this relation, since everything affects everything. Essentially every hormone has some interrelation with all other hormones as well as many other neurochemicals. Whether these individuals had normal levels of oxytocin before becoming obese is not known, and this simple report does not look at the many other chemicals affecting mood. Interestingly those with lower levels of oxytocin also had higher levels of cholesterol.