Are There Mental Health Risks to GLP-1s?
If you’re a young person taking GLP-1s for weight management, it’s important to be aware of the complex connections between these drugs and mental health. “We focus a lot on the weight loss part,” says Susan Albers, Psy.D., a psychologist at the Women’s Health Center at Cleveland Clinic in Wooster, OH. “But I think that people need to know more about the impact of GLP-1s on mental health.” Because while they’re prescribed for weight loss, they also indirectly affect many aspects of your psychology and emotional well-being, Dr. Albers says—in positive and negative ways. Here’s what adolescents should know.
The Weight-Mood Cycle: “Your weight can impact your mental health, and your mental health can impact your weight,” Dr. Albers says. For instance, one review found that people with obesity have a 55% increased risk of developing depression, while people with depression have a 58% increased risk of developing obesity. Mental health struggles can make eating well and exercising a challenge, while obesity can lead to lower energy, social isolation, weight discrimination, and poor body image, according to the National Council on Aging. Another theory is that chronic inflammation underlies both conditions.
Excerpted from Health Central
