The metabolic consequences of long-term antipsychotic use may lead to a lower 
quality of life and an increased risk for premature mortality, either through the direct 
impact of these medications on cardiovascular health or by its significant effects on 
weight. This DNP project was designed to develop, implement, and evaluate a tailored 
intervention at a community clinic to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, with a long
term goal of decreasing the weight of overweight or obese mentally ill individuals taking 
antipsychotic medications. An interview prompt based on Leventhal’s Common-Sense 
Model of Self-Regulation (CSM) was created and incorporated in three monthly 
appointments with 14 participants. A food/activity journal and a healthy lifestyle resource 
packet were also provided.  At the end of three months, 11 of 14 participants lost weight 
even though BMIs changed only slightly. Thirteen participants acknowledged that the 
intervention was helpful. This DNP project focused on modifying lifestyle behaviors that 
may eventually lead to weight loss rather than achieving rapid weight loss in a short time 
span. As demonstrated through this project, the weight management tool kit grounded by 
Leventhal’s CSM model can be helpful in fighting antipsychotic-induced obesity. It also 
showed that implementing a behavioral intervention is feasible in a fast-paced 
community health clinic and is acceptable to stable patients suffering from mental illness.