A summary of weight loss drugs

Although slimming pills are not the first choice for treating obesity, many doctors advocate the use for people who wish to lose weight.  There are two classes of medicines: appetite suppressants and lipase inhibitors.  There are also other medications that a doctor may prescribe to help with the ongoing process of weight loss, such as antidepressants.

There are numerous options for treating obesity such as drastically changing your diet, weight loss tablets and even surgery. The recommendation your doctor suggests will centre on several aspects.  The level of a person’s obesity is calculated with their height and weight which will give you there BMI (Body Mass Index). A person with a BMI of 30 to 40 is obese and over 40 morbidly obese.  Morbid obesity is a complex medical disorder that has a major effect on your general quality of life. It can have severely affects a person’s health in numerous ways including breathing difficulties, mobility problems, skin conditions, infertility.  In some cases morbid obesity can lead to serious diseases such as diabetes, heart problems and cancer.

Although medication is not the first weight loss treatment suggested, a doctor may prescribe it in a small amount of cases. Weight loss medications are obtainable in prescription and non-prescription forms.

Generally there are two forms of weight loss drugs - prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. Over-the-counter weight loss drugs are considered to be dietary supplements; they don’t require FDA approval.

In the prescription drug category, there are basically three choices, Xenical (orlistat), Meridia (sibutramine), and phentermine.

Xenical (orlistat) functions as a fat blocker which stops most fat being absorbed in to the body.  The prescription drug has strength of 120mg; the non prescription weight loss pill measures 60mg.

Fat blockers lower fat absorption which can cause side effects such as oily discharge, fatty stools, or failure to control bowel movements. These side effects are the result of the fat not being absorbed by the body. Eating low-fat foods lowers the risk of probable side effects. If a person’s diet is low in fat already, the impact from the pills will be less noticeable as there is less fat to block.

Xenical is generally safe for just about anyone because the drug is not absorbed.

Patients must follow a low-fat diet as taking Xenical means if you eat a high-fat foods, you will suffer far worse side effects.   To avoid these effects you have to lower the fat in your diet.

Meridia (sibutramine) reduces a person’s hunger by working on the appetite control messages in the brain that makes you feel full

Meridia helps weight loss by up to 10% that you would not get with just diet and exercise alone.

Merida is generally given to people who struggle knowing when to stop eating or have very bad food cravings. Younger people who are at a low risk for heart disease are good patients to take Meridia.

People taking Meridia can experience side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, and insomnia. It is important to know Meridia should not be used by anyone with cardiovascular problems.

 

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