Why are antidepressants fattening?

This type of psychopharmaceuticals have a significant impact on weight gain. Why is this?

When it comes to drugs, there must always be clear indications for their consumption by a specialist who has made a previous evaluation.

If this does not occur, then some side effects may occur in the subject, and even despite medical supervision may begin to appear. In the case of antidepressants, it is confirmed that one of these unwanted effects is an unusual weight gain in the subject.

In this article we will address the question: why do antidepressants make you fat?. To do so, we will review the results of a longitudinal study published in the British Medical Journal, and we will see how these drugs can have this effect on the human organism, as well as some ways to prevent it.

The relationship between antidepressants and obesity.

As mentioned above, this was a longitudinal study (a long-term study) which could provide us with the answer as to why antidepressants are fattening. This study consisted of a population sample of 294,719 subjects aged 20 years and older, all from the United Kingdom between 2004 and 2014.

The research was conducted by Dr. Rafael Gafoor and other specialists from King's College in London. In the results of this research evidence emerged of a clear incidence of antidepressants in terms of long-term weight gain in people using antidepressants.in people who make use of this type of drugs.

Within this study there were other variables apart from the simple use of the medication, such as age, suffering from some types of specific diseases such as diabetes or cancer, tobacco consumption, the consumption of other medications simultaneously, among others...

About the results of the study

The results show that regardless of the aforementioned variables, there is a constant when atypical weight gain is originated in the subject, and it is the use of any of the following drugsand it is the use of some of the most sold Antidepressant drugs in the United Kingdom. Let's see what they are:

• Mirtazapine
• Duloxetine
• Sertraline
• Venlafaxine
• Citalopram
• Fluoxetine
• Escitalopram
• Trazodone
• Amitriptyline
• Paroxetine
• Nortriptyline
• Dosulepin

Of these 12 drugs, some more than others showed a higher incidence of weight gain by their users. However, all are implicated in cases of long-term atypical weight gain.

However, the results of the study were not definitive, the results of the study were not definitive.. They showed that, although there is a proven level of incidence of these drugs in the tendency of consumers to gain weight, the cause of why antidepressants generate this weight gain is still not entirely clear, although there are several factors that come into play. Let's look at them.

Possible causes of weight gain

Weight gain caused by the consumption of these drugs could actually be due to side effects of antidepressants. actually be due to side effects, such as these..

1. Relaxing effect on the subject

The relaxation effect that these drugs produce in those who consume them causes the subject to generate sedentary behaviorswhich is a risk factor for obesity.

2. Antidepressants stimulate appetite.

This type of drug has shown a positive relationship in terms of increasing people's appetite, especially with regard to the consumption of sweets and refined flours, two very fattening things.two things that make people put on a lot of weight.

If we make a simple equation, and add these two situations (less physical activity + higher consumption of sweets and flour), the result translates into a higher rate of fat in the body, especially accumulated in the abdominal areawhich generates the belly.

Ways to prevent this effect

Some effective ways of prevention may be the following.

1. Keep control over your weight

Keeping track of the weight changes you may be experiencing will help you realize that something is going on and that you should take action. In addition, after having analyzed the situation, you should continue to weigh yourself almost daily to avoid relapses.

2. Outdoor physical activity

Regardless of the physical activity you do, the important thing is that you do it with enthusiasm and that you feel the physical wear and tear as you do it, the important thing is that you do it with enthusiasm and that you notice the physical wear and tear while you do it.. Jogging for 10 minutes is a good alternative to keep in shape.

3. Include salads in your diet

Search for salad recipes and start adding them to your menu will greatly help to reduce the amount of fat you accumulate. This salad menu is recommended while you are taking antidepressants. After having finished the treatment you could continue including these in your meals, but not so rigorously.but not as rigorously.

Bibliographic references:

• Gafoor R et al. (2018). Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight gain during 10 years' follow-up: Population based cohort study. British Medical Journal, 2018;361:k1951.
• Woo, Y. S., Seo, H-J., McIntyre, R. S., & Bahk, W. M. (2016). Obesity and Its Potential Effects on Antidepressant Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Depressive Disorders: A Literature Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 17(1): 80.