Australians with serious mental illness are living on average for 10-32 years less than the rest of the population, mainly due to preventable and treatable diseases like diabetes. No wonder, these early, preventable deaths have been described as a scandal .
People living with serious mental health issues are significantly more likely to be obese, have impaired blood sugar levels (diabetes) and high cholesterol, risk factors collectively referred to as metabolic syndrome . There are several reasons behind this high rate of physical disease, many of which can be modified.
Medications used to treat mental illness, although an essential part of treatment, can affect people’s physical health. Some medications can lead to significant weight gain, particularly in the first two years of treatment, ( typically around 7kg within 12 weeks ).
Having a mental illness is associated with unhealthy eating , including excessive energy intake and a poor diet high in processed foods and sugary drinks. This contributes to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Mental illness is also associated with low levels of physical activity , increased sitting time and poor fitness .
It’s difficult enough to motivate the general population to take regular exercise and choose a healthy diet. But in people living with mental illness, where poor motivation can be an inherent part of the illness, these barriers to a healthy lifestyle are compounded .
Addressing the burden of poor physical health among people with mental illness is no longer a knowledge gap , rather it is a failure of implementation.
think about the whole person, their overall health and the relationship between body and mind .