Is Prescription Weight Loss Pills Effective?
When a person is obese and other methods of weight loss have failed they often turn to a doctor for a prescription to a weight loss drug in hopes of being able to finally lose weight.
There are serious consequences for obesity and so many doctors are treat obesity as they would another serious disease with a treatment plan that is designed to improve the health of the individual. Weight loss drugs do have side effects and most of these are mild but there have been some reported serious complications from using weight loss pills.
The doctor should advise the patient that weight loss pills are not a cure for obesity, but merely a tool that should be combined with physical activity, and an improved diet in order for the individual to be successful at losing weight. Weight loss pills should not be viewed as a long-term solution either and the doctor should monitor the progress of the individual including any side effects experienced.
What individuals are good candidates for weight loss pills?
Individuals who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above that have no obesity-related medical conditions are good candidates for weight loss pills if other methods have failed and those with obesity-related conditions who have a BMI of 27 and above with a doctor’s advice and monitoring are also candidates for weight loss pills.
What types of weight loss drugs are there?
The FDA approves weight loss drugs and most of them are short-term use drugs (few weeks to a few months). Most of these pills are “appetite suppressants”. Appetite suppressants are usually in tablet or “extended-release capsule form”. Appetite suppressants can be by prescription or over-the-counter. When a person takes an appetite suppressant pill, the pill tricks the body into thinking that it is full, so the person eats less and loses weight.
A fat absorption inhibitor is another type of weight loss drug. Xenical is a FDA approved fat absorption inhibitor, which blocks about 30% of dietary fat from being absorbed by the body. It is sold over-the-counter as “Alli”. When a person takes a fat absorption inhibitor pill the body is prevented from breaking down and absorbing the fat that is consumed. The unabsorbed fat is then eliminated in bowel movements.
There are always drug studies being conducted for weight loss because it is a huge industry.
Weight loss pills generally if taken as prescribed or instructed can be effective and most individuals experience between a 5 pound and 22 pound loss of weight over a year time span. The weight loss benefit is that the individual reduces the risk of health complications such as heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. The risk is that especially long-term use of weight loss pills can cause addiction, developed tolerances, side effects that are serious and even fatal. Common side effects from weight loss pills include constipation, excessive thirst, drowsiness, stuffy nose, headache, anxiety, dry mouth and increased heart rate.
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