I don't know that fat and happy can coexist. Thankfully I don't have mental health issues and have always been in the thin to normal weight range, but I don't know that I would be happy if I were overweight. I know that I would not be happy obese because as the author said, it slows you down, there are so many things you can't do, people draw away from you, because like it or not, there is a fat prejudice in our society even as so many Americans are overweight/obese. Thin folks tend to shun the large. Of course there have been studies showing that being heavy can be contagious in that thin folks may eat more and food that's not as nutritious when surrounding by heavy folks making bad food choices. But I have seen so many documentaries where the obese are not happy, that many have mental health issues that have led to them using food to self-medicate. I still wonder if the overabundance of chemicals in our life isn't causing problems for more and more folks. Not that depression didn't exist before modern science, but that it seems so prevalent. I know some of it is the lessening of the stigma associated with it, but I have to think that our 'modern' world is causing some of these problems in folks who 200 years ago might have been perfectly healthy.

meds definatley add weight and it just hides the problem by adding another problem, talking out your problem is the best way to go

This is yet another excuse for not being at a healthy weight. yes, the meds may make it difficult but it's still about WHAT you put in your mouth and the lack of adequate exercise that makes one gain weight! If you control calories and limit your caloric intake and then burn MORE calories than you ingest then you WILL lose weight. People on these meds may have a bit more of a struggle but the weight will still come off. Stop using medication as an excuse to not be at a healthy weight. All "diets work - as long as you eat less than what you are burning -- it's not rocket science, people! Calories in, Calories out - get real!

Lauren, you are beautiful. Your smile outweighs anything else and does more to define who you are than physical appearance. Hang in there.

being on the meds gives the inability to move, they make you exhusted and all you can do is sleep or sit, and the more you gain the less you want to go out in public-going to a gym-give me a break-i didn't want people looking at me at 326 lbs trying to walk thru the door never mind exercise, now at 124 and on no anti depressents life is beautiful and I realize only I could change my attitude not the medication!

Maybe some day the medical community will admit that there are far better ways to treat depression than to support the drug companies. The book "Depression-Free for Life: A Physician's All-Natural, 5-Step Plan" is avaiable at bookstores and online and if you go to Amazon and read the reviews of people who have been helped you will wonder why more people don't go the natural route. Doctors don't support this of course because there would be no $250.00 office visit EVERY MONTH. I speak from experience. The most beneficial part of the program for me was the amino acids..... I wish Dr. Nancy Snyderman would bring this up but I doubt she ever will.

I would love to know the name of the drug. I took Lexapro and the same thing happened. But I gained 40 lbs.

I have been in this very same situation. I struggle daily with Bipolar II disorder and for years I was on anti-depression meds before we finally figured out that it was Bipolar not depression. I gained about 30 lbs in about 3 months and to top it off I got pregnant. While pregnant I continued with my anti-psycotic meds for the Bipolar and gained another nearly 60 lbs on top of that. I made the decision to come off my meds and work on loosing the weight. It took me about 9 months to go from 188 lbs (weight after baby) to 115 lbs. I now manage my Bipolar with prayer and lots of deep breaths.

I struggle daily with the small rage, but with God all things are possible. I completely give it to the Lord and he takes it away, so I know first hand how hard it can be to try to make the decision of sanity or weight gain. It is attainable and I am so thankful that my decision to come off my meds is working for me.

I also took Lexapro and begain putting on wieght. So, I stoped taking it. I have been trying now to loose the weight. It is SLOWly coming off. I would much rather be skin and sad than fat and happy. I was not happy being fat. So that really didn't help me.

To the person that said it is about calories in and out, that is a bunch of crap. I am a very active mom of 3 kids, I also eat very healthy. That didn't help at all, I still put on 30 lbs within 11/2 mths.

I am settling with Fat and Happy! While I have added some weight, I am actually in a better and motived mood to get up and exercise. I am playing softball with a few teams, do running races and love to go to boot camp class. Before when I was smaller and sad, I lost all my motivating to do anything. I'm just working a little harder and trying to watch what I eat. If I can get the extra off great, but nothing is better for me than looking forward to the new day.

Anyone who says they would rather be skinny and sad can not say they have ever truly been depressed. There is a difference in sad and depressed. I've been on anti depressants for a little over a year now and gained 20lbs. I hate the extra weight and am trying to work it off. I am definitely not happy with the weight gain but I am accepting of it knowing where I came from and recognizing the alternative. For those of you who say that it's calories in and calories out or read a book and work on your attitude - I say lucky you. I hope you never have to be where I have been.

I say sad and thin. I use to weigh over 380 pounds and depressed. Being over weight added additional depression and anxiety. I have lost over 150 pounds and still struggle with depression but at least the obesity/weight issue does not add to it. Most every one who is over weight thinks "if I just lose the weight I'll be happy and evrything will be OK". That's just not always so. I still struggle with 25 pounds and I work out 6 days a week - (1 hour of cardio & 1 hour weight training), people who say just exercise and eat less just don't really understand we are not all the same. Just like all children and people don't learn the same we all don't lose weight the same. That ignorance adds to the discrimination and discontent for over weight people.

You can't tell me that Lauren was any "happier" being fat than she was being thin. It's all about choices. I work out every day and eat really healthy and I could be fat if I wanted to be. Maybe she should have made some choices about not sticking her finger in the butter, etc. You can still be depressed and not eat yourself into obesity.

As someone who is sad and suffers from major clinical depression as well as body dysmorphic disorder due to a lifetime of teasing from everyone under the sun AND due mostly in part to being slightly OVERWEIGHT, I would rather be thin hands down if given the choice. There's no way you can be happy when people snicker or stare at you, clothes don't fit, and you feel ugly and shunned by society, overlooked on job promotions, have physical limitations, and men don't want to even date you. Unless you're happy wearing tent-like clothes, never being able to attend a social event in a beautiful evening gown, having a shorter lifespan, a spectrum of disabilities and health problems and enjoy being pointed at, I doubt you can be happy AND fat. And when I say fat, I mean obese, as in Lauren's case. As to Effexor, I hated it. I felt like a zombie all the time, and a robot, devoid of human emotion. Make fun of me all you want, Lauren, but I'd rather have my emotions than become a zombie of a nasty anti-depressant, which you seem to find okay. I want to live and enjoy my life, sorry if you feel differently.

Too simplistic... the other questions that are important- what group-personal friendships, what activities, what occupation? and also family and age. Speaking from within 5 yrs of retirement and soon to be grandmother, being happy with good health (mental and physical) is important. Thin is shallow!!! Dress with good fitting clothes. Thin can be mean, don't buy into those happiness and thin is better. I was 107# when i got married. 2kids, and life -30yrs later.... i have NO reason to think i should be near 107 lbs. (with or without med's) It's abusive to promote woman should be thin.

They need to invent medications without harmful side effects.

I have never been happier free of weight obsession.  I eat when hungry, walk instead of drive, and delight in the comfort my ample body gives me.  Of course as a sociologist I know that almost all health scares for moderately fat people are lies to help promote diet products.  Beyond a shadow of any doubt, fat can be fit and healthy!

NO SUCH THING as FAT and happy!

i'm thin and happy...everyone i know whos fat is on meds and is miserable...two people i know almost died of heart attacks...ones partialy blind from the stroke he had as well...everyone i know...whos fat..which is quite a few people..saddly...all have health problems and dpression...and all the health problems are the same...thyroid, diabetes, heart...the drinkers add liver..and the smokers add lung problems...

you know...im sure someone out there is fat and happy...maybe their a little insane as well...you just don't know..for myself and my firends we prefer being healthy and we are helping our friends to get to at least a level were they feel good.