THE EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS AEROBIC EXERCISE TRAINING ON DEPRESSION INDICES AND LIPID PROFILES IN OBESE WOMEN

The prevalence of obesity and its associated complications is increasing rapidly in the world. Therefore, applying new approaches are necessary to prevent and treat this social problem. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of depression and lipid profiles in obese women after aerobic exercise. In this quasi-experimental study, 24 obese women with an age range of 30-35 years old with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 kg/m2, were selected from among volunteers. After identification of depressed people by Beck standard questionnaire, they were randomly assigned into two groups of 12 subjects as the following: 6 depressed as experimental, and 6 non-depressed as control groups. Experimental group had received 12 weeks (3 sessions per week) of aerobic exercise intensity in 75-65% of maximum heart rate. Depression indices and fasting lipid profiles were measured before and after training for both groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 18 at P<0.05. Results showed that after 12 weeks of aerobic exercise, there were significant differences in the levels of TG, TC, LDL, HDL-c, LDL / HDL and TC / HDL between experimental and control groups. Also, the level of depression in obese women after exercise in experimental and control groups was significant. The findings of this study showed that aerobic exercise as an effective treatment approach can be taken into consideration in psychological and physical health in obese women.