Overview
About 17 million people–over 5 percent of Americans–suffer from depression, according to Wrong Diagnosis. Many who could benefit from pharmacologic treatment suffer needlessly. They fear potential side effects including weight gain, and decide to not seek treatment. Do not deny yourself relief. Depression can be treated medically without weight gain. In fact, one can employ strategies to lose weight while taking antidepressants. The key is to create a treatment plan for depression that includes weight loss as one of the treatment issues.
Medical Consultation
Speak with your doctor about your depression and your desire to lose weight. Establish a weight loss plan that complements your depression treatment plan. With help from your doctor, create a target weight you want to reach and maintain. Also discuss antidepressant medications and their potential effect on your weight. Discuss with your doctor how to create lifestyle changes that will help you improve your depression while you lose weight.
Complex Relations
Antidepressants, depression, weight gain and weight loss have complex relations. Most antidepressants manifest a side effect of weight gain that affects a certain portion of patients. Notably, depression itself often presents with a symptom of weight loss. Some people who gain weight while taking antidepressants simply regain their appetites and eat more as the shroud of depression is lifted. Depression can also cause weight gain, at least in part because the loss of motivation and decrease in physical activity that accompanies depression reduces the number of calories that the depressed person burns.
Antidepressants and Weight Gain
Certain antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricylic antidepressants are most likely to cause weight gain, according to Mayo Clinic. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), except for paroxetine, are less likely to be associated with weight gain. Paroxetine poses a greater risk for weight gain than the other SSRIs. Non-SSRIs such as nefazodone and bupropion appear to minimize weight gain, according to Psychology Today.
Exercise, Depression and Weight Loss
View your weight loss as a critical element of your depression treatment. The changes you make to your lifestyle that help you lose weight also can improve depression. We all know that exercise burns calories and aids in weight loss. However, many studies, including those noted at The Real Truth, indicate that exercise and activity also improve depression. Exercise releases endorphins, enhances immune system functioning and raises body temperature, all of which may improve mood.
Diet, Depression and Weight Loss
Likewise, maintaining a healthy, calorie-wise, low-fat, low simple-carbohydrate diet that includes a balance of complex carbohydrates, proteins and other nutrients will stabilize blood sugars and enhance the availability of brain chemicals that optimize mood, energy and cognition. As noted at Diet and Depression, diet can improve depression. The same balanced, low-fat, low simple-carbohydrate diet that improves mood can also stabilize weight and enhance weight loss. You can more than likely compensate for any weight gain that may be associated with antidepressants by establishing a healthy, low-fat, low-calorie diet coupled with a daily exercise and activity program.
Be a Loser
Not everybody gains weight when taking antidepressants. Doctors cannot determine ahead of time who will most likely gain weight. Recent research noted at Mayo Clinic suggests that people who show weight gain within the first week of taking antidepressants are at the greatest risk for weight gain with long-term use. Monitor your weight, activity patterns and food consumption daily. Should you begin to gain weight, speak with your doctor. She may decide to change the dosage or try a new medication.
About this Author
Ed Donner is a clinical psychologist and freelance writer. He has performed, presented and published research on a variety of psychological and physical health issues. He has a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Chicago.
