The Correlation between Depression Treatments and Weight Loss


Conventional medications are known for their side effects, which may range from mild to intense. These side effects can even get dangerous, if not controlled in time. There is a typical correlation between depression treatment and weight loss that needs to be viewed in the right perspective.

It has been seen that some antidepressants have appetite depressant properties. Whereas these antidepressants are approved for treating depression, their use as weight loss solutions is not recommended.

Depression patients are liable to be on medication for a long period of time. The weight loss in most cases is temporary and people tend to regain weight after they stop taking the medication. However, patients taking buproprion, a drug used for treating depression, have reported a substantial weight loss over a period of two years. The drug seems to act on the dopamine receptors in the body that leads to satiation even with smaller quantities of food.

The FDA has detailed strict regulations for how medications should be promoted by manufacturers. There are standards for approval and control that have been detailed for the purpose. But the FDA has no control over physicians who prescribe a drug for a different use from what it is actually approved for. For example, Amphetamines are advertised for treating some types of depression but they are rampantly prescribed for treating obesity. Such practice can prove to be dangerous because these medications have a strong potential for abuse or dependence.

Social views that reflect a certain degree of unwillingness to accept obesity as a disease usually deter obese patients to look for weight loss medications. Obesity is a long lasting and recurrent disease that requires persistent treatment over a protracted period of time. Generally there are two types of drugs prescribed for controlling weight:

* Drugs that suppress appetite or produce a feeling of satiation. These drugs make you feel less hungry by acting on the brain chemicals that control moods and appetite.

* Drugs that inhibit production of an enzyme called lipase. Lipase is a catalyst that helps in breaking down fats into fatty acids for easy absorption by the system. Lesser production means lesser absorption and therefore less fat.

Weight loss medications, even if they are approved and prescribed according to FDA rules, should only be used by patients who have a high medical risk due to their obesity. In addition, drugs can treat obesity only if used in conjunction with natural weight loss routines like exercise, yoga, and an active lifestyle. The same rider applies to those obese patients who opt for herbal weight loss remedies.

If you have problems with your weight it is highly recommended that you explore all aspects of obesity treatment before choosing the one that you feel is most apt.

References:

http://dukenews.duke.edu/2001/10/mm_depressiontreatment.html

Article courtesy of Native Remedies
Image courtesy pixabay.com

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Turn off the news. Throw away the newspaper. Get outside and go for a walk. Dr. Christiane Northrup said going for a walk is a perfectly acceptable form of treatment for certain types of depression!