Weight loss drugs act as aids in
your weight loss plan
and can help some people. Although it would be nice, there are no drugs
that magically take all the weight off quickly without any effort. In
fact, using medicines only gives about a 10 lb weight loss in 1 year,
and most patients gain back their weight once they stop using the
weight loss medicine. However, the health benefits from weight loss due
to diet and exercise might also be applied to the same amount of weight
that is lost from using medicines.
All medicines have
the risks
of side effects. For some people, these risks are too great to ever use
certain drugs. They can also be expensive. Most weight loss medication
studies only looked at one year. After that, there is not as much
scientific data on continued weight loss or side effects. The safer and
cheaper strategy of
diet
and
exercise
should be tried first. Weight loss drug therapy can be considered if a person’s BMI
is more than 30 or more than 27 and the person has certain medical
conditions.
Weight
loss drug therapy is not a cure for being overweight. Once the
medicines are stopped, most people gain back the weight they lost.
There may also be a maximum effect for each medicine. Once a certain
amount of weight is lost, the drugs may not produce any more weight
loss.
Below is a table with the names of
weight loss
drugs and a brief word on how they work. The average amounts of weight
loss for most of the medicines are given where available. For more information, click on each drug’s name.
Curbs appetite and holds food in your stomach longer
Note:
Only the medicines with the asterisk (*) are FDA
approved for weight loss. The medicines with the number sign (#) have
the potential for abuse and are only approved for short term use.
Experimental Drugs
Brand Names
Generic Name
Average
Weight Loss
How It Works
Acomplia (not available in the US, Canada, or several other countries)
Just like some of the medicines
listed above have weight loss as one of their side effects, some drugs
may cause weight gain. It is not a good idea to stop any medicine
without first talking with your doctor. Some examples of types of
medicines that may cause weight gain are antipsychotics,
antidepressants, and some diabetes medicines. You should feel free to
talk about this possible side effect with your doctor.
For
more information on any drug, you
can search for
it below. After searching for the drug, select “Patient Education” from
the right hand side.
It is important you
discuss any weight loss or exercise plan with your doctor. Only you and
your physician can decide what is best for you. Some people have
certain conditions that prevent them from doing all exercises, and goal
body weights may be different for different people. You need to discuss
all these things with your physician before starting any weight loss or
exercise program.
References Ann
Intern Med 2005;142:525-531 “Overview of therapy for obesity
in adults” UpToDate version 15.3 “Drug therapy of Obesity”
UpToDate version 15.3 Treatment
Guidelines from the Medical Letter 2008;6:23-28