A new study led by Amitai Abramovitch, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas State University, shows that individuals with obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD) are significantly less likely to become overweight or obese.
The research by Abramovitch and colleagues examined the relationship between psychiatric disorders and elevated body mass index (BMI). The results, “Body mass index in obsessive-compulsive disorder,” appear in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
“OCD is a condition that affects more than 8 million people in the U.S. alone,” Abramovitch said. “The study found a positive aspect related to OCD, where individuals with OCD are up to 50 percent less likely to be overweight or obese compared with individuals with primary depression and anxiety disorders—as well as compared to the general population. In other words, in this study, a status of ‘not having OCD’ meant up to 200 percent increased likelihood of being overweight or obese compared to people diagnosed with OCD.”
