eli5 How do antidepressants and other medications cause someone to *gain* weight?

Question

eli5 How do antidepressants and other medications cause someone to *gain* weight?

In: 90

Answer 1

The exact causes of weight gain [from antidepressants] is scientifically blurry: no one has a clear answer. I have encountered this weight in my own clinical recovery from depression.

When you start antidepressants, in most cases, the prescriber wants you to put that weight on. The reason is that, by the time the average person goes to their doctor about depression, they may have experienced many months of poor diet and nutrition: a common symptom in depression.

So if you get an increased appetite, or your body starts stockpiling, (no one knows) they’re okay with it. After a couple of years, the weight disappears – again, no one knows why.