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BUY NOWDepressed and Obese People May Benefit from Lithium
Lithium may help people with treatment-resistant depression and obesity improve their symptoms. Learn more about the necessary treatment and the factors that worsen these conditions worse.
Obesity and Depression Make Each Other Worse
A research group led by Nils Opel from the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Center for Mental Health found that depression and obesity have a bidirectional relationship and can create a feedback cycle.
Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or higher. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and your height is 5 feet 8 inches, you would be considered obese. You can calculate your BMI online.
A person with depression consistently has a low mood and loses the ability to enjoy almost anything. Fatigue, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating are also common symptoms.
People with obesity have an increased risk of developing depression. Conversely, individuals with major depressive disorder have a 71% increased risk of developing obesity. The risk of developing depression is especially high for people with severe obesity (BMI >40 kg/m²).
Risk factors for obesity development in patients with major depressive disorder (Image by Opel et al., 2025).
In addition to managing two conditions, people encounter double stigma. Shame and guilt delay getting treatment.
Treating Obesity And Depression
“For most patients, depression and obesity can be treated concurrently, as improvement in one arena often has a positive effect on the other,” said a co-author of the paper Leslie J. Heinberg, PhD, vice chair of psychology at Cleveland Clinic.
Treatment should include psychotherapy, antidepressant drugs, physical exercises, dietary interventions, and metabolic drugs.
Integrated care of patients with major depressive disorder and comorbid obesity. Image by Opel et al. (2025)
A hitch with antidepressants though is that these medications can influence appetite and promote weight gain. For some people, this can be a significant obstacle to treatment.
The Lancet paper notes that augmentation strategies for treatment-resistant depression may include quetiapine or lithium.
In contrast to some case reports and popular belief, a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials showed no significant weight gain on lithium treatment among people with bipolar disorder.
One study reported that lithium ascorbate was associated with weight loss in people with depression.
What Does It Mean For You?
If a person has obesity and depression, the care includes therapy, medications, exercises, and diet. An individual can discuss with their doctor whether adding lithium or quetiapine to their treatment strategy without excessive concern about weight gain.