| Obesity Medications
There are many ways to treat obesity. Usually, overweight individuals engage in exercise and dieting to lose weight. If these do not work, they turn to pharmacological management. Taking anti-obesity or weight loss medications has been found very effective especially when they are used together with diet and exercise. These drugs work by changing some of the processes of the human body such as appetite, metabolism and calorie absorption. Appetite suppressants work by increasing serotonin and catecholamines. Both are chemicals in our brain that affect one’s mood and appetite. One anti-obesity drug Orlistat is not an appetite suppressant though. This one works by disrupting the lipase enzyme which controls the absorption of fats in the small intestine. The calorie intake is lowered because 30 percent of fats when you eat are not absorbed and are excreted out of the body.
Anti-obesity drugs are prescribed for those who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above. In some cases these drugs are also recommended for people who are at risk of obesity-related health conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and sleep apnea.
Currently, most weight loss drugs are approved by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for short term use. Only Sibutramine and Orlistat are approved for long term. Since you opt to use these drugs for long term treatment, it is also important to know the potential risks such as adverse effects, abuse or dependence or the development of tolerance. It is still best to check it out with your doctor.
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