Depression Medication and Weight Gain – Do you really have to chose?

The Today Show had a very interesting story about a women who felt she had to chose between being fat and happy or thin and sad. As with most things, there’s more to this story than meets the eye. Here’s the clip then my comment.

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Fat and Happy vs Thin and Sad makes for a good story line, but when it comes down to it, true Depression is not just a matter of being “sad.” You can go to the gym or the spa and work off your sadness. Depression is like a vice grip that takes hold and doesn’t easily let go. When you get so depressed that you’re not functional, you’re not meeting your responsibilities at home, you’re withdrawing from your family, or worse yet, you’re wanting to end your life… Being thin becomes the last priority on the list.

Additionally, this woman was taking antipsychotic medications which is not typically used for mild, “sadness” type of depression. More than likely the antipsychotic is the one that did the damage. Once you get to the point of needing an antipsychotic medication, thinness becomes less of a priority. The focus at that point is becoming mentally well.

This is not to say depression treatment will automatically result in weight gain. Many times it won’t especially if you only take an antidepressant. But it underscores the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy mind as well as staving off the weight gain side effects of the medications.

The moral of the story – regardless of what kind of medications you need for whatever condition, you don’t have to settle for 20 + pound weight gain. It does mean it will be harder for you to control your weight because you’ve got another factor working against you in addition to fast food, busy schedules, etc. It’s a matter of re-prioritizing your life so that exercise and diet control become paramount. I’ve tried to make this a little easier for some people who have trouble being motivated to to any exercise with the EZYWalk System. Check it out here.

One more thing. If you get your depression treated, you can be in a better frame of mind to keep your body in shape, your house in order and your relationship in good condition.