The challenge of obesity

This editorial discusses the problem of obesity in people with serious mental illnesses, as well as the role of those in the field of psychiatric/psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) in addressing this issue. The term "obesogenic environment" has been coined to refer to environments that both promote weight gain and act as a barrier to weight loss. In an ecological model of obesity, people in obesogenic environments struggle against a culture that promotes consumption of high-fat, sugar-laden foods and encourages sedentary behaviors. Multiple influences affect an individual's response to obesogenic environments such as degree of exposure, access to resources, and biological predisposition to obesity. The ecological model of obesity has much to offer the field, given PSR's emphasis on community participation and social integration. By working together to propose, implement, and test changes at both organizational and professional levels, members can address overweight and obesity and alter the landscape of the obesogenic environments for those they serve and care about.