Prescription Medications to Treat Overweight

Prescription weight-loss drugs: Can they help you?

Are you a people who is overweight or obese and has serious health problems because of your weight? Have you tried exercise and diet but haven't been able to achieve significant weight loss?

If you say yes to these questions, then a prescription weight-loss drug might be an option for you.

You should know, however, that prescription weight-loss drugs are used in addition to — not instead of — diet and exercise.

What are overweight and obesity?

Health care providers use the Body Mass Index/BMI, which is a measure of your weight in relation to your height, to define overweight and obesity. People with BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight. Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or greater. You can calculate your BMI NIH external link to learn if you are overweight. Being overweight may increase the risk of health problems. Your health care provider can assess your individual risk due to your weight.

Obesity is a chronic condition that affects more than 1 in 3 adults in the USA. Another 1 in 3 adults is overweight. If you are struggling with your weight, you may find that a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity help you lose weight and keep it off over the long term. If these lifestyle changes are not enough to help you lose weight or maintain your weight loss, your doctor may prescribe medications as part of your weight-control program.

Who is a candidate for weight-loss drugs?

Doctor may consider weight-loss drugs for you if you haven't been able to lose weight through diet and exercise and you meet one of the following:

Your body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30.

Your BMI is greater than 27 and you have a serious medical problem related to obesity, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Before selecting a medication for you, the doctor will consider your health history, possible drug side effects and potential interactions with medications you're already taking.

It's important to note, that weight-loss drugs aren't for everyone. For example, prescription weight-loss drugs shouldn't be used by women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant or women who are breast-feeding.

What Prescription Medicines Are Used to Treat Obesity?

Most available weight-loss medications approved by the FDA are for short-term use, meaning a few weeks or months. There are many other medications in addition to the most common medications noted below. Most available weight-loss medications are "appetite-suppressant" medications. These include: Didrex, Sanorex, Mazanor, and Adipex-P. These medications  come in the form of tablets or extended-release capsules. Appetite suppressants can be obtained by a doctor's prescription or purchased over the counter .

In the mid 1990s doctors also prescribed the popular appetite suppressant Redux or the combination of phentermine and fenfluramine, called Phen-fen. Fenfluramine and Redux were withdrawn from the market in 1997 because they caused damage to heart valves. Phentermine is still available. Taking phentermine alone has not been associated with the adverse health effects of the fenfluramine-phentermine combination. Meridia was withdrawn from the market by the FDA in 2010, as it was found to also damage the heart.

Another type of prescription weight loss drug is a fat absorption inhibitor. Xenical is the only example of this type of treatment approved for use in the U.S. Xenical works by blocking about 30% of dietary fat from being absorbed, and is the most recently approved weight loss drug.

In 2012, the FDA approved 2 drugs for long-term weight loss, lorcaserin hydrochloride  and phentermine/topiramate Xenical and Contrave areis other weight-loss medications approved for longer-term use in significantly obese people, although the safety and effectiveness have not been established for use beyond 1 year.

What are the benefits of using prescription medications to lose weight?

When combined with changes to behavior, including eating and physical activity habits, prescription medications may help some people lose weight. On average, people who take prescription medications as part of a lifestyle program lose between 3 and 9 percent more of their starting body weight than people in a lifestyle program who do not take medication. Research shows that some people taking prescription weight-loss medications lose 10 percent or more of their starting weight.1 Results vary by medication and by person.

Weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your starting body weight may help improve your health by lowering blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides. Losing weight also can improve some other health problems related to overweight and obesity, such as joint pain or sleep apnea. Most weight loss takes place within the first 6 months of starting the medication.

Do Prescription Weight Loss Drugs Really Work?

In general, Xenical is moderately effective, leading to an average weight loss of 5 to 22 pounds over a 1 year period, more than what would be expected with non-drug treatments. However, the response to these medications is based on each individual, and some people experience more weight loss than others. Likewise, there is no one correct dose for these medications. Your doctor will decide what works best for you based on his or her evaluation of your medical condition and your response to treatment.

Some people have lost more than 10% of their initial body weight with the help of prescription medications. This is a large enough amount to reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure,  and other obesity-related health complications . Patients generally experience a maximum weight loss within six months of starting medication treatment.

Over the short term, weight loss due to prescription drugs may reduce a number of health risks in obese individuals. There are currently no studies to determine the effects of these medications over the long term.

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