New Data Show Behavioral Education Program Helps Patients Treated with Antipsychotic Medications Reduce Weight and Improve Overa
April 22 2004 - 9:27AM
PR Newswire (US)
New Data Show Behavioral Education Program Helps Patients Treated
with Antipsychotic Medications Reduce Weight and Improve Overall
Wellness Patients reported positive changes in diet, exercise,
stress management, and improved sleep CHICAGO, April 22
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Patients with severe and persistent
mental illness treated with antipsychotic medications reported
positive changes in diet, exercise, stress management, improved
sleep, and increased confidence in maintaining these lifestyle
changes after participating in the Solutions for Wellness
Personalized Program (SFWPP), new data show. The findings,
presented today at the College of Psychiatric & Neurologic
Pharmacists Annual Meeting, also indicate that those who made
positive changes in diet experienced weight loss and reduced Body
Mass Index (BMI). The Solutions for Wellness Personalized Program
is a customized weight management plan that helps patients with
serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,
lose weight, reduce BMI and improve overall wellness. "[The
Solutions for Wellness Personalized Program] gave me direction on
how to improve my eating habits, start an exercise regimen and
think about weight loss differently. In short, it helped me build
up my self-esteem," said one participant. Another participant
indicated that, "it's easier for me to get out and exercise. It's
easier for me to eat healthy, to plan meals, to look at myself and
say, 'I don't have to be heavy and I don't have to be overweight,'
I can be happier with myself."(1) Patients with severe and
persistent mental illness are at increased risk for weight gain and
obesity due to various factors, including sedentary lifestyle, poor
nutrition, and lack of access to adequate medical care, nutritional
and exercise programs. In addition, many medications used to treat
mental illness, including atypical antipsychotic medications, may
cause weight gain. The Solutions for Wellness Personalized Program,
created by the Patient Marketing Group, Inc. and sponsored by Eli
Lilly and Company, is a free, six-month program available for
healthcare professionals to offer their patients diagnosed with a
serious mental illness. The program provides individualized
education on nutrition, exercise, stress management and sleep
improvement, and support for improving overall wellness. The
Solutions for Wellness Personalized Program helps healthcare
professionals provide better quality care by emphasizing the
importance of treating both the mind and the body of the patient.
As one physician noted, "we as mental health professionals don't
have much to offer in terms of weight management ... . This is
something above and beyond what I can offer patients." Another
physician reported, "SFWPP is additional support outside my area of
expertise that I can provide patients. It is a tremendous tool for
me."(1) Key Findings By the end of the first year of the six-month
Solutions for Wellness program, 7188 individuals with mental
illness had voluntarily enrolled. Ninety percent of these
participants had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 25 at the
start of the program. Individualized weight management plans were
created for each participant, and participants received newsletters
and progress updates throughout the duration of the program. Weight
and BMI were self-reported at baseline and at each follow-up
survey. Changes in behavior, such as diet, exercise and personal
attitudes were assessed with follow-up surveys. At enrollment, 65
percent of participants reported that improving health and
well-being was their overall goal. * After six months, 90 percent
of participants reported positive changes in their diet, 85 percent
improved their exercise regime, 94 percent enhanced their stress
management techniques, and 93 percent made changes to their sleep
habits. * Overall, participants in the program reported an average
reduction in BMI of nearly one point (-0.93 kg/m2). A BMI reduction
of one point (or 1 kg/m2) equates to a weight loss of about six or
seven pounds, depending on the height of the individual. * In
addition, 97 percent of participants reported having gained
confidence in the ability to maintain lifestyle changes. "We've
understood for many years that those with a serious mental illness
tend to struggle with maintaining a healthy lifestyle," said
William Glazer, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. "They are
at greater than average risk of weight gain and obesity due to the
combination of inactive, unhealthy lifestyles and treatment with
various psychotropic medications, which can be associated with
weight gain. This sometimes results in patients stopping their
medications without telling their clinicians or switching to less
effective medications. This program shows that a more complete
wellness treatment approach can help patients manage their weight,
comply with therapy, and feel better about themselves." About Eli
Lilly and Company The Solutions for Wellness Personalized Program
is sponsored exclusively by Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly, a leading
innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of
best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest
research from its own worldwide laboratories and from
collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered
in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers -- through medicines
and information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical
needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at
http://www.lilly.com/ . LillyAnswers ensures that low-income
Medicare enrollees with the greatest need have complete access to
the Lilly products they require. The centerpiece of the patient
assistance program, the LillyAnswers card, allows seniors and
people with disabilities under Medicare to pay a flat $12 fee for a
30-day supply of certain retail distributed Lilly drugs. Since
Lilly implemented LillyAnswers in 2002, hundreds of thousands of
people without prescription drug insurance have received more than
a half million Lilly products. LillyAnswers enrollment applications
are available by calling the toll-free number: 1-877-RX-LILLY
(1-877-795-4559) or online at http://www.lillyanswers.com/ . (1)
The Patient Marketing Group, Inc. Evaluation of Solutions for
Wellness, Top line Findings of Qualitative Research Conducted with
Physicians and Patients, 7/14/03 - 7/22/03. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO )
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO DATASOURCE:
Eli Lilly and Company CONTACT: Marni Lemons of Eli Lilly and
Company, +1-317-433-8990, or +1-317-997-5604 (cell)
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