Weight Loss Drugs

We have heard a lot about weight loss drug. But, much is not known to the general public. This article tries to give some idea about these drugs.
It is always desirable that a person should reduce weight by taking healthy diet and taking regular exercise. Weight loss drug should not be used by people who would like to reduce their weight by a few pounds for cosmetic effect.

These drugs are meant for those people who are struggling to reduce their weight and facing health problems for this reason.
Doctors would generally prescribe weight loss medicine to those people where:

• Other methods of weigh loss have not worked.
• Body Mass Index is more than 27 and the person suffers from diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea.
• Body Mass Index is more than 30.

Only two drugs have been approved by Food and Drug Administration for long-term weight loss. They are Sibutramine and Orlistat.

Though not prescribed as often, drugs such as phentermine (Adipex-P) are approved for short-term use. These drugs suppress appetite, but haven't been the subject of many long-term studies. When used for a short time — generally less than 12 weeks — the medications usually lead to only temporary weight loss. Side effects of these drugs include dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and lightheadedness.

Alli is a reduced-strength version of Orlistat .This drug is approved for over-the-counter sale to overweight adults who are 18 years or older. This drug is meant to be used along with low-calorie, low-fat diet and regular exercise. This drug would help you to lose weight, but it would not be very significant. It might be a few pounds more than you would lose by diet and regular exercise.

Using these prescription drugs along with low-calorie diet and regular exercise would lead to more weight loss than either using drug or life style changes would do. By combining drug, low-fat diet and exercise could help you lose 5 to 10% of your body weight within a year. This weight loss might appear to be moderate but such a weight loss would lead to decrease of:

• Blood pressure
• Blood triglyceride level
• Blood glucose levels
• Insulin levels

There is no need for changing of food habits or activity level for persons who are using these weight-loss drugs. These drugs improve the chance of clinically achieving significant weight loss.