Obesity is a complex multifactorial chronic disease that develops from the interaction between genotype and the environment. Obesity in individuals with mental disorders such as schizophrenia has been attributed to various factors, including…

In the pre-antipsychotic era, Kraepelin noted that some patients with schizophrenia exhibited bizarre eating habits, and not uncommonly were obese. “The taking of food fluctuates from complete refusal to the greatest voracity. The body…

The literature thus far suggests that some of the novel antipsychotic medications cause less weight gain than others; thus it may be possible to switch patients on agents associated with the…

Behavioral interventions such as calorie restriction, exercise, and behavioral modification are key elements to successful, sustained weight loss (NHLBI 2000; NHLBI also has posted on its Web site a practical guide for obesity evaluation and…

The effects of antipsychotic-related weight gain have both medical and psychiatric components. In particular, medication compliance is adversely affected by excessive weight gain, with weight gain being a wellknown cause of treatment nonadherence…

Novel antipsychotic medications and conventional antipsychotic medications affect a number of central neurotransmitter systems that may have an impact on satiety and feeding behavior. Many of the receptor systems blocked by antipsychotic medications…

Obesity and its related sequelae represent a growing epidemic in the United States. Overweight is defined by the World Health Organization as a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0­29.9 kg/m², and obesity as…