"In summary, phototherapy has been shown to be effective in SAD, where it is a viable clinical treatment and, in many cases, the treatment of choice."
"We exposed him (Kern) to 2000 lux light in the morning and in the afternoon, that is before dawn and after dusk, to effectively lengthen his winter days to those that would be similar to a spring photoperiod when he would spontaneously switch out of his depression"
"winter depression is accompanied by a distinctive constellation of symptoms, including overeating, oversleeping, and carbohydrate craving; that is triggered by light deficiency; and that it responds to a novel type of treatment, phototherapy."
"Seasonal rhythms have been documented in human beings too. Some examples include conception rates, mortality, growth rate, endocrine activities, and emotional states. ... It has been suggested that the seasonal cycles exhibited by SAD patients are simply exaggerated versions of those seen in the general population.. There is certainly ample evidence for seasonal cycles in body weight and fatness in human beings. In both adults and children, weight gains are reported to be greatest in autumn and winter, and lowest in spring and summer. The prevalence of obesity is generally highest in autumn or winter and lowest in summer. Finally in obese women, weight loss treatments have been reported to be most effective in the spring and least effective in the winter.
"Prevalence of SAD in the U.S. varies with latitude. In a northern state such as Minnesota, SAD affects more than 100 people per 1000, whereas in Florida it affects fewer than six people per 100,000".
"Recent epidemiological studies have found that the behaviors that characterize seasonal affective disorder (SAD) show seasonal variation in 92%-95% of the general population suggesting that seasonal variation in behavior and mood is a continuous, dimensional variable extending throughout the general population."
"Indeed a great majority of the general population report seasonal changes, and according to the epidemiological studies mentioned above, 20-25% regard these changes as a problem."
"Rates of winter SAD and subsyndromal SAD were found to be significantly higher in the northern latitudes."