There are several prescription medications on the market that help people lose weight, and one awaiting FDA approval. If diet and exercise haven't worked for you, you might consider talking to your doctor about one of these.

One called Meridia works to suppress the appetite by inhibiting the reuptake of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, that helps your mood. This means more serotonin stays present in your system. Some people constantly have an appetite because their serotonin levels are low. Certain foods increase your serotonin level, so you keep eating because it makes you feel better. While on Meridia, you don't constantly feel the desire to eat. In clinical trials, subjects lost an average of 26 pounds after six months, and kept it off, compared to controls who used diet and exercise alone. The latter group gained their weight back after six months, and some continued to gain even more thereafter. Of course, this is no magic pill, and the accompanying plan includes diet and exercise, to reduce calorie intake and increase calorie expenditure.

Another weight loss medication called Xenical is a fat blocker. It's actually sold over the counter in half the prescription dose under the name Alli. Again, this is not a magic pill. You must maintain a low fat diet while on the medication, because it works by inhibiting fat digestion. Eating less fat means you're taking in fewer calories, so this accounts for part of the weight loss. In addition, the amount of fat you do eat is only partially digested so the result is that your body obtains fewer calories from the fat you do eat.

Take warning, however: If you eat too much fat, it will come out undigested. Perhaps you've heard stories of 'anal leakage' which refers to excretion of the undigested fat in the consistency of oil. Fear of this side effect is a good motivator for many to stay on their fat- and calorie-controlled diet plan.

In clinical trials, subjects on xenical plus a low fat and low calorie diet lost an average of 10% of their starting body weight in just a little over six months. Subjects on the placebo plus the diet plan averaged a less impressive six percent weight loss.

Another drug, which has been awaiting approval in the US for nearly two years, is called rimonabant. This came about from the discovery of cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors are what causes marijuana smokers to get the so-called "munchies". It was theorized, and then proven, that if the brain reacted

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Do weight-loss medicines really work??
We want to hear your view. Write now!