Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other? Can we Successfully Incorporate Motivational Interviewing Techniques for Weight Loss Problems in Bi-Polar II and Address Associated Impulse Control Difficulties and Mood Problems

John Roberts*

Abstract

Long-term weight loss can be difficult to achieve and weight maintenance even more problematic. If mental health difficulties in the form of Bi-Polar II Disorder (BD II) featuring Binge Eating (BE) and/or sub-threshold BE eating disorders are both co-present and common psychological problems in the management of BD II then when obesity is co-present difficulties for clinicians and patients are compounded. Obesity in BD II is far from a stand-alone difficulty – for instance the cyclothymic, anxious-sensitive, impulse-dyscontrol and binge-eating ‘soft spectrum’ of BD II has been shown to present with at least 10% of Bi-Polar patients (Perugi and Akiskal, 2002).