Weighing the Options: Medication, Lifestyle, and the Path to Wellness

In this episode, Dr Rakesh Jain and Dr Craig Chepke start off with breaking news, both the "good and the challenging," in schizophrenia treatment before diving into the real-world obstacles of weight management for their patients. They explore antipsychotic-induced weight gain, offering empowering, evidence-based insights on tools like metformin and GLP-1 receptor agonists.

The pair also reflect together on their personal journeys with weight management and the unexpected life lessons they've learned along the way. With their signature warmth, wit, and wisdom, Rakesh and Craig break down how clinicians can help patients take control of their own health, mind, and body. Whether a decades-long veteran MD or advanced practice provider early in your career, this episode will leave you informed, inspired, and empowered to improve your patients' outcomes.

To read more about the study referenced in the podcast, visit this link: bit.ly/pcffmetformin

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr Jain served a 3-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Craig Chepke, MD, DFAPA, is a Board-Certified psychiatrist in clinical practice as the medical director of Excel Psychiatric Associates in Huntersville, NC, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry for the Sandra and Leon Levine Psychiatry Residency Program at Atrium Health. He attended NYU School of Medicine and completed his psychiatry training at Duke University. As part of an interdisciplinary treatment team in his practice, he employs a person-centered care model to tailor treatments to each individual's needs, integrating traditional pharmacotherapy with psychotherapeutic and physical health and wellness interventions. His clinical and academic interests include serious mental illness, movement disorders, ADHD, and sleep medicine. Dr Chepke is the Scientific Director for the Psych Congress portfolio of CME conferences, and he has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.