Melancholia, Glucose Tolerance and Body Weight

A decrease of glucose tolerance in mental illness has been observed for over forty years (Kooy, 1919; Mann, 1925). Although this change in carbohydrate metabolism has been described in all types of mental disorders, the majority of investigators report that it occurs most frequently in melancholia (Kooy, 1919; Mann, 1925; McCowan and Quastel, 1931; Holmgren and Wohlfahrt, 1944). The phenomenon has usually been regarded as a secondary effect, and several theories have been suggested to explain how it is produced (Kooy, 1919; Mann, 1925; McCowan and Quastel, 1931; Holmgren and Wohlfahrt, 1944); however, no single explanation is firmly established, and the mechanism or mechanisms are still uncertain.