Perhaps there is a bit of truth to the stereotype about being fat and happy: Obesity Gene May Shield Against Depression

Perhaps there is a bit of truth to the stereotype about being fat and happy — new research finds that people who have a gene linked with obesity may have a slightly lower risk of depression.

People who had a version of a gene called the FTO gene were 8 percent less likely to have depression, researchers found. In 2007, scientists discovered this version of the FTO gene was a major contributor to genetic obesity among people of European descent. [link to www.livescience.com]