Posted on February 25, 2008 in Latest News
Obesity is unfortunately a disease which invites a host of other ailments. However, certain other disorders may prevail even before a person becomes obese. It has been proved that people with schizophrenia are at greater risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia as compared to those who are not schizophrenic.
Abdominal obesity is a key modifiable contributor that impacts several factors known to contribute to the health risks of those with schizophrenia. Excess visceral fat (as opposed to subcutaneous fat) increases the circulatory workload, leading to an increased likelihood of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and elevated triglycerides, all of which ultimately increase cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.
The problem of weight gain among those prescribed atypical antipsychotic medications is well known. Although research to date indicates some variability in expected weight gain among the different atypicals, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists weight gain as a class effect of this group of medications.
Persons with schizophrenia may not understand relationships between weight and diet, or may not understand how to improve their eating habits (Dixon, 2003). Recent studies have documented that persons with schizophrenia consume more saturated fat (Ryan, Collins, & Thakore, 2003) and refined sugar (Stokes & Peet, 2003) than healthy persons and probably less fiber than people with no mental illness. Poor diet in this group is associated with poverty and unstable living conditions, as well as frequent consumption of fast food.
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