Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: Dual Diagnosis and Obesity Prevention and Health Promotion Programs

The extant literature indicates that the prevalence of obesity in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) is greater than that found in the general population. Obesity and being overweight are independent risk factors for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and some types of cancer.

There is increasing recognition that medication use, specifically psychotropic medication, can cause significant weight gain. Given that 30-50% of adults with ID are dually diagnosed and receive psychotropic medication and/or antipsychotic mediation, medication use amongst this group has become an important factor in the treatment of individuals with ID.

Given the consequences of obesity and being overweight, and the potential to significantly reverse these consequences by returning to a normal body weight, the goal of this presentation is two-fold. The first goal is discuss the results from a study examining the relations between challenging behaviors, psychiatric care, medical conditions, and obesity in adults with ID living in a group home setting.

The second goal of this presentation will be to describe the development and implementation of an obesity center in one of the largest not-for-profit agencies in the USA, the YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities that provides a wide range of services, including health care, to individuals with ID. The development of a more comprehensive assessment of an individual's risk factors for obesity and an improved method for tracking changes to and the recombination of psychotropic and/or antipsychotic medication to limit weight gain by medical staff will be outlined.