Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Susan Preston
(973) 972-7265

Weight Management Program Helps Patients Treated with Antipsychotic Drugs Reduce Weight and Body Mass Index (BMI)

Study Demonstrates Nutritional Counseling, Exercise and Behavioral Interventions Improve Outcomes in Patients with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder

Education about nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices helps patients being treated with atypical anti-psychotic drugs for schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder lose weight and reduce body mass index (BMI), according to a new study published in the August issue of Psychiatric Services.

The changes in weight and BMI of the patients who participated in the weight management program were both significant when compared to a group of patients who did not receive this intervention, according to researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).

"We've understood for many years that those with severe and persistent mental illness tend to struggle with managing a healthy lifestyle," said Betty Vreeland, MSN, APRN, BC, training coordinator of the University Behavioral HealthCare Center for Excellence in Psychiatry at UMDNJ and author of the study. "They are at a greater than average risk of weight gain and obesity due to the combination of inactive, unhealthy lifestyles and treatment with the various psychotropic medications, the combination of which are associated with weight gain.

"This study shows that a more complete treatment approach, one which addresses both primary mental symptoms and physical health helps move patients' lives forward and that's great news," Vreeland said.

The study looked at a total of 46 people with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder All had been taking clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, or quetiapine for a minimum of three months. All were overweight or obese with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 26 or had gained at least five pounds within two months of starting the medication.

Thirty-one of the 46 individuals whose weight and BMI changes are reflected in the study results participated in a 12-week weight control program that included weekly nutritional counseling, exercise and behavioral interventions designed to help them implement healthy lifestyle changes.

The information about the 15 patients identified as the "control group" for the study was compiled from reviewing their charts over a 12-week period.

The researchers found that the participants in the weight management program had clinically significant reductions in weight, body mass index (BMI), and other risk factors for long-term health problems. Specifically, participants in the intervention group lost an average of 6 pounds (220.9 to 214.9 pounds), or 2.7 percent of body weight. Their BMI was reduced on average from 34.32 to 32.23, a decrease of 2.8 percent

The non-counseled participants continued to gain weight, an average of 6.4 pounds (206.4 to 212.8 pounds), or 3.1 percent of body weight. Their average BMI increased from 32.58 to 34.79, an increase of 3.6 percent.

Additionally, the intervention resulted in significant improvements in hunger rating, nutrition knowledge, and increases in the amount of time devoted to exercise per week.

Vreeland said the researchers then continued to follow the 31 patients for a year. "We found that not only were they able to keep the weight off during the time, but we also found an improvement in physiologic measures such as blood pressure and hemoglobin A1C1, a measurement that looks at what the average fasting flood glucose levels are over a three-month period. These improvements can result in meaningful reductions in morbidity and the risk of early mortality."

The investigator-initiated study was funded by Eli Lilly and Company.

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