Some researchers believe a focus on personal responsibility has emerged more recently in response to a “growing disillusionment with the limits of medicine” as well as pressures to contain costs and growing self-help movements (Minkler, 1999). “Medical services as a means to maintain health have been grossly oversold” (Crawford, 1977). These are difficult moral questions that arise when we consider how much responsibility we have for our own health, particularly when our behavior affects those in the community and health care resources are finite. Additional laboratory tests such as a complete blood cell count (CBC), thyroid function tests (TFT), electrolytes (including calcium, phosphate, and magnesium), Vitamin B12,  Liver function tests, Lipid profile and HbA1C may be helpful to rule out organic causes of both obesity and psychological symptoms. The unfortunate truth about both substance use and obesity is the harsh stigma attached to each disorder.

What Good or Bad Effects Might Come From Calling Obesity a Disease?

• This study, and the accompanying editorial,8 support the concept that obesity increases risks for adverse health outcomes, and should be considered a disease.
• There are several types of weight loss surgery, and each helps with weight management differently.
• Furthermore loss of self confidence caused by the illness and poor self esteem resulting from weight gain 43 may maintain this vicious circle of inactivity and over eating further compounding the problem.

However, there is some evidence to suggest that individuals who undergo bariatric surgery are at increased risk of problematic substance use. Furthermore, studies that have found an increased risk of death by suicide following bariatric surgery also have found an elevated risk of accidental death.66 It is not known how many of those accidental deaths were substance related. Clearly, the effect of bariatric surgery on the risk of substance use disorders is an area in need of further research. Anxiety disorders are common among patients who present for bariatric surgery; the occurrence among those presenting for nonsurgical treatment is less well established. However, intuitive thought and clinical experience suggests that uncontrolled anxiety may negatively impact engagement in weight loss treatment in all its forms. Unsuccessful dieting often leads to excessive amounts of overeating or bingeing on foods with high fat or sugar.

Mental Health Treatment

• Nevertheless they do provide further evidence that some second generation antipsychotic drugs such as Olanzapine appear to have specific metabolic effects in relation to insulin production and regulation and that these effects occur rapidly after treatment is initiated.
• Obesity, and extreme obesity in particular, can contribute to the experience of discrimination.
• This approach can reinforce feelings of hopelessness, as individuals may feel « broken » or defined by their diagnosis.
• These individuals may have higher chances of experiencing a chronic disease in this case.

One of the controversies regarding whether to define obesity as a disease is the fact that there is not agreement as to the definition of obesity. Obesity can be defined as an excess of body fat that leads to increased morbidity and mortality. From an epidemiological standpoint, it may be defined as a BMI of greater than or equal to 30 kg of body weight per meter squared.2 This is a simple and easy to use calculation, as the data are readily available. The BMI is considered a marker for adiposity and is widely used to predict and evaluate disease risk.

Links to NCBI Databases

Although a significant amount of literature is available on obesity and psychiatric illness, the current review has specifically looked into the strength of association of each psychiatric illness with obesity. Subgroup analysis based on parameters such as age, gender, and differences in measurement methods were reported in a few studies and this may also have contributed to some of the differences observed. Quality assessment of included studies was performed concurrently with data extraction by the two authors independently. The data extracted from the articles include the author and year of study, place of conduct of study, characteristics of the study population, alcohol rehab sample size, study design, primary objective, fully adjusted measure of association such as risk (either odds ratio OR/relative risk RR), and any significant moderators/mediators. We used an adapted version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale to critically appraise the selected articles which fell into the category of observational studies.

Understanding obesity stigma: Know how it impacts mental health and here are some following strategies for support.

• In 2006 the New York Times 33 printed an article about how Eli Lilly manufacturers of Olanzapine (Zyprexa) had engaged in a decade long effort to play down its risks to health.
• Yet currently no direct link between physical conditions such as diabetes and antipsychotic medication has been established.
• Many antipsychotic medications also have sedative properties 41 and these effects may influence the low levels of physical activity often seen in people with SMI 25,26,42.

My approach is to evaluate a patient fully, including family history, exhaustive hormone evaluation, nutrient status, and life inventory to understand is alcoholism considered a mental illness where to begin in treating this disease. Evidence is modest for anxiety disorders and inadequate for other psychiatric conditions. Inconsistent evidence exists regarding the strength, direction, and moderators in the relationship between obesity and psychiatric disorders. While many may find that last sentence especially hard to swallow, such reluctance is most likely rooted in stigma about what it means to have a psychiatric disorder and dystopian concerns about psychiatrists medicating the populace. But on the contrary, the universality of less than ideal mental health should reduce stigma and calling obesity a psychiatric disorder carries no automatic implication about medication. Definitions from the FDA in 1993, Downey and Conway (2001), and Rene (2004)9 share some but not all of these criteria.

While differences also exist, an addiction based model of overeating provides a compelling theory for understanding obesity and the difficulties involved in controlling food intake. The reason for this high prevalence of obesity in people with SMI has been a source of much debate. Some have argued that weight gain in SMI is due to a complex interaction between genetic factors, environment, the mental illness itself and the effects of antipsychotic medication 5. Whilst others lay the blame for weight gain more firmly on the side effects of antipsychotic medication 6,7,8,9. This debate is further complicated by the potential effects of the unhealthy lifestyles (e.g., increased rates of smoking and reduced activity levels) that many individuals with SMI lead 10,11. Nevertheless, significant psychopathology is believed to contraindicate weight loss treatment56; this issue is most salient when bariatric surgery is considered.

• Alcoholism and obesity are not solely biological conditions—they are deeply intertwined with emotional coping mechanisms, psychological health and societal influences.
• We used an adapted version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale to critically appraise the selected articles which fell into the category of observational studies.
• Reasons that have been suggested for the high prevalence of obesity in people with SMI include lifestyle factors, mental illness, genetics, side effects of anti-psychotic medication or possibly a complex interaction of all of these factors 5.

Low Quality Of Life

Treatment can improve a person’s quality of life and help avoid further health risks. Addressing obesity requires more than medical intervention; it calls for a critical examination of the food industry and the systemic factors that contribute to poor metabolic health. Psychological support, such as therapy, can empower individuals to break free from ingrained habits and understand their emotional relationship with food. However, a larger societal shift is necessary to reduce the impact of unhealthy food marketing and create a healthier environment on a wider scale.

Whereas in AA abstinence is easily defined as complete avoidance of alcohol consumption, the definition is more flexible in OA, as abstinence from food is impossible. Some members abstain from certain foods thought to trigger overeating, such as refined sugar, while others commit to refrain from overeating or binge eating. Despite the popularity of 12-step groups, there is little published research examining the efficacy or effectiveness of OA as a treatment for overeating and obesity.