Mental Health in Women with Obesity: An Expert Interview

Obesity and mental health overlap and although not everything is known about the intersection, women with obesity face an increased risk for mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, compared to men with obesity. "We actually see that there's an increased rate for depression for women with obesity, and that that is above and beyond what we see for men," said Dr Carolynn Francavilla, owner and founder of Green Mountain Partners for Health in Lakewood, Colorado, where she practices family and obesity medicine. Dr Francavilla recently sat down with Patient Care Online to discuss mental health in women with obesity, including the importance of screening for different types of psychological conditions (eg, binge eating disorder, anxiety, ADHD), which medications may contribute to weight gain, and ways primary care clinicians can address the overlay in clinical settings. More of her conversation with Patient Care® follows.

Carolynn Francavilla, MD, runs Colorado Weight Care in Denver, Colorado, and has spoken at national conferences on obesity topics including treatment of PCOS and obesity, obesity and breastfeeding, obesity and pregnancy and postpartum, and obesity advocacy issues. She is board certified in family medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She also teaches clinicians on the topic of obesity through her own platform HelpYourPatientsLoseWeight.com.