title: Effects of behavioral therapy on weight loss in overweight and obese patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is common in persons with schizophrenia. Besides its adverse health effects, obesity reduces quality of life and contributes to the social stigma of schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This 14-week, multicenter, open-label, rater-blinded, randomized study evaluated the effects of a group-based behavioral treatment (BT) for weight loss in overweight and obese stable patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who had been switched from olanzapine to risperidone. Participants were randomly assigned to receive BT or usual clinical care (UC). BT included 20 sessions during which patients were taught to reduce caloric intake. In UC, patients were encouraged to lose weight but received no special advice about weight reduction. The primary outcome measure was change in body weight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-two patients were enrolled. The mean +/- SD weight loss at endpoint was significant in both groups (p < .05) and numerically greater in patients receiving BT than in those receiving UC (-2.0 +/- 3.79 and -1.1 +/- 3.11 kg, respectively). More patients in the BT group than in the UC group had lost > or = 5% of their body weight at endpoint (26.5% [9/34] and 10.8% [4/37], respectively; p = .082). A post hoc analysis of patients attending at least 1 BT session showed that significantly more patients in the BT than the UC group had lost > or = 5% of their body weight at endpoint (32.1% [9/28] vs. 10.8% [4/37], respectively, p = .038) and at week 14 (complete population; 40.9% [9/22] and 14.3% [4/28], respectively, p = .027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BT may be an effective method for weight reduction in patients with chronic psychotic illness.
authors.affiliation: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Jaspreet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Brar
authors.forename: Rohan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ganguli
authors.forename: Gahan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pandina
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Turkoz
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Ramy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000077152:Olanzapine; D015995:Prevalence; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine