The possibility of a common pathophysiology that underlies weight gain and its associated metabolic anomalies and mental illness, including schizophrenia and depression, was also examined; several genes that are shared between mental disorders and obesity have been identified, including FTO, POMC, ITIH4, TLR4, BDNF and CREB1. Here, ITIH4 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.