Bipolar Disorder and Weight Loss Surgery

While no causal link has ever been proven, there is a strong correlation between obesity, depression and bipolar disorder. Many of the drugs prescribed for psychiatric disorders can cause weight gain. Problems are also compounded by the self-esteem issues suffered by many people who are overweight.

Just as there is no one cause responsible for obesity, there is no one set answer to improving health and emotional well-being. However, there has been some evidence that weight loss surgery can help improve the mental states of patients who suffer from bipolar disorder. Recent studies have shown that after weight loss surgery, patients who suffered from bipolar disorder experienced significant weight loss, improved health and improved emotional health. People that have had weight loss surgery, such as Lap-band surgery, were also found to have a lower risk of dying from obesity-related problems.

People with bipolar disorder did not see any increase in negative outcomes over the general population. In other words, being bipolar does not indicate that weight loss surgery is any more risky for you than for someone who is not.

Doctors have also reported anecdotal evidence that bariatric surgery has improved the lives of their patients who also suffer from bipolar disorder. The improved self-esteem and improved general health that come with losing excess weight seemed to bring a great improvement to their patients’ lives in general.