Clinical Rationale:
General Population Issues; Overweight and Obesity
- Data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 30% of U.S. adults 20 years of age and olderover 60 millionpeople are obese
Metabolic Effects Associated with Overweight or Obese Conditions
- Increases in adiposity, particularly visceral abdominal fat, are associated with decreases in insulin sensitivity in individuals both with and without psychiatric disease (1)
- Increasing prevalence rates of overweight or obese individuals raise concerns regarding the risks of many health conditions associated with insulin resistance, including hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia leading to Type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease (2)
Bipolar Disorder and Weight Gain
- The estimated prevalence of obesity in persons with bipolar disorder ranges from 13.0-49.0 percent in various studies; with an unknown percentage attributable to lifestyle-related issues associated with the condition (3,4)
- Treatment with pharmacotherapy associated with bipolar disorder, particularly the various antipsychotics, has been associated with an additional increase in weight ranging from less than 2 lbs up to 10 lbs (5)
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