(Reuters Health) – Even overweight and obese people who take certain psychiatric drugs associated with weight gain may be able to shed excess pounds by focusing on healthy eating and exercise habits, a recent study suggests.
Researchers followed 17,519 obese and overweight adults enrolled in a weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes at Wharton Medical Clinic in Ontario, Canada. Nearly one quarter of patients were taking at least one antidepressant or antipsychotic medication, some of which have weight gain as a side effect.
Overall, patients lost an average of 3.4 kilograms (7.5 pounds) over an average of 15.8 months of regular checkups at the clinic.
Women lost 3.1 kg when they didn’t take antidepressants or antipsychotics, similar to the 2.6 to 3.1 kg they lost when they took one or both types of medicine. Men lost 4.3 kg when they didn’t take psychiatric medicines, compared with 3.4 to 5.3 kg when they took one or both drugs.
“Contrary to what we thought,…
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