The Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Body Mass Index in Patients Treated Exclusively for Depression

Mood can affect an individual's weight and eating habits, making cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) a potential approach to improving body mass index (BMI). Nevertheless, analyzing weight change is complex due to other factors, such as exercise and medications. This retrospective study examines BMI changes in depressed patients undergoing CBT exclusively for depression, not weight management.

A retrospective study compared BMI changes between a CBT group and a no CBT group of depressed patients at an academic medical center in central Pennsylvania. To minimize variability, participants were matched one-to-one for gender, age at diagnosis, and BMI at diagnosis. Both groups were followed from the initial psychology visit to the completion of CBT in the experimental group.

From 2009 to 2019, 1,659 people were diagnosed with depression, but only 231 underwent CBT for depression. The CBT group had a slightly higher BMI at baseline (BMI=35.7 vs BMI=34.6). Among controls (no CBT), 9.2% were on Medicaid compared to only 1.3% in the experimental group. Overall, neither group showed a median difference in BMI during the study period.

CBT alone did not significantly impact BMI when used exclusively for depression without additional weight-loss interventions. A secondary finding was the apparent underutilization of CBT among those with depression. Future research should explore barriers to CBT access in the depressed population.