SHIFT Newsroom · UK
Severe mental illness and weight: a UK gap in practical support
UK archive · Original report: 23 September 2025. A study of UK GP records found greater weight gain after severe mental illness diagnoses, without a corresponding increase in structured referrals.
UK archive review · 13 September 2026. Original source: 23 September 2025. This article revisits a UK development; it is not a new announcement today.
What the records showed
Researchers examined records from 1,454 GP practices, comparing 23,025 adults with severe mental illness with 90,879 matched peers. The university’s September 2025 report describes greater weight gain in the first group, particularly during the years soon after diagnosis.
Although weight-management advice was recorded more often, referrals to structured programmes were not more likely after adjustment. Advice and access to an organised service are different measures; recording one does not demonstrate delivery of the other.
Why the study does not explain every cause
This was observational research using routine records. Recording frequency, delays and differences between groups can affect the findings. Associations involving antipsychotic use do not establish that one medicine explains all the weight change.
The result should not become a reason to stop essential treatment. It raises a service question about whether physical-health support accompanies mental-health care early enough.
A more specific appointment conversation
Our suggested questions are: who is monitoring physical health, what support is available if weight changes, and can someone help with a referral rather than advice alone? Ask how the mental-health and primary-care teams share responsibility.
It can also help to explain practical barriers, including fatigue, money, transport or difficulty attending a group. A programme that exists on paper may still be hard to use.
For SHIFT, this is a particularly relevant UK story because it connects weight and mental health without blaming the person. The useful response is coordinated assessment and accessible support, with medication decisions remaining with the prescribing team.
Related UK reporting
GlobalMinds: what the mental-health research invitation means
Known facts
- A study of UK GP records found greater weight gain after severe mental illness diagnoses, without a corresponding increase in structured referrals.