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Obesity (cont.)

Medications

The following medications are available in the United States by prescription. If you have been unsuccessful losing weight through diet and exercise, ask your doctor about these medications. For more information about these drugs, see Medication in the Treatment of Obesity. These are not a substitute for dietary management. Over the long term, successful long-term weight loss requires changes in overall eating patterns.

Sibutramine (Meridia) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996. It may be recommended for people who are more than 30 pounds overweight. In clinical trials, people who took this drug lost an average of 5-10 percent of their body weight. It may also help to keep weight off. It works by making the person feel full and thereby decreases food intake. It may cause an increase in blood pressure and should not be used by people who are on a number of other medications, such as antidepressants.
Orlistat (Xenical) is a prescription medication approved by the FDA in 1999. Your doctor may prescribe it if you weigh more than 30 percent over your healthy body weight or have a BMI greater than 30. Over 1 year, people who followed a weight-loss diet and took orlistat lost an average of 13.4 pounds, almost 8 pounds more than people who used diet alone to lose weight. It works by reducing the absorption of fat from the intestine. Diarrhea and incontinence of stood may be side effects of this medicine.