Obesity and Mental Health: A Missing Piece in the Puzzle.

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent among individuals living with obesity and contribute to treatment resistance, poor adherence, and adverse health outcomes. Yet, obesity management often remains fragmented, with limited integration between endocrinology, psychiatry, and behavioral health. This Perspective advocates for a mental health framework for obesity care. We emphasize the need for future investigations to test the clinical relevance of behavioral phenotyping as a complementary approach to pharmacotherapy, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, to enhance treatment personalization. By reframing obesity as a disease deeply intertwined with mental health, we emphasize the need for multidisciplinary care models that incorporate psychological assessment, stigma reduction, and patient-centered nutrition counseling. Advancing this framework will require closer collaboration between medical and mental health disciplines and greater investment in neurobehavioral research to improve long-term outcomes in obesity care.