Diet Drugs

What Are Diet Drugs?

Diet drugs are used to promote weight loss, usually through appetite suppression. Most diet drugs are intended to be used only temporarily and are most effective when combined with other lifestyle changes. Serious side effects have been known to occur with the use of certain prescription and over-the-counter diet drugs.

Prescription Diet Drugs

Doctors can prescribe weight loss drugs in conjunction with diet and exercise changes for patients with obesity. Prescription diet drugs must receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being sold or administered. Currently, only sibutramine (Meridia) and orlistat (Xenical) are FDA approved for long-term use.

Over-the-Counter Diet Drugs

Nonprescription diet pills are also sold over the counter-often as dietary supplements marketed for weight loss. According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, dietary supplements do not need FDA approval (unless they contain a new ingredient, which must then be reviewed by the FDA). Instead, the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring product safety and effectiveness.

Obesity

Obesity is a condition that may lead to disease, disability, or death. Currently, more than one-third of American adults are considered to be overweight or obese. The rate of childhood obesity has also grown significantly over the past two decades so that more than one-fifth of children now suffer from obesity. A person is generally considered to be obese when his or her Body Mass Index is calculated to be above 30. (Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a mathematical formula that helps determine whether an individual is underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.)

Obesity has been linked to a variety of serious health problems. It is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States . Being obese has been associated with a higher risk of developing the following conditions:

  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Coronary Heart Disease
  • Cancer
  • Gallbladder Disease
  • Arthritis
  • Gout

Dangers of Diet Drugs

Although diet drugs may help people who suffer from obesity, many also carry their own inherent risks. While potentially reducing the dangers of obesity, using diet drugs may have a host of possible health consequences. Three of the more serious complications sometimes associated with the use of diet drugs are:

  • Disrupted Brain Function - Because some diet drugs (like fenfluromine and dexfenfluromine) temporarily alter the levels of serotonin in the brain in order to provoke feelings of satiety, other functions regulated by serotonin can also be affected by the drugs. Serotonin regulates sleep, cognition, memory, and mood, as well as appetite.
  • Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) - PPH is a disorder that limits blood flow to the lungs. Research suggests that the use of any appetite suppressant can increase a person's risk of PPH ten-fold.
  • Heart-Valve Irregularities - The diet drug Fen-Phen was recalled, partly because it was found to cause heart-valve problems in some patients.

Popular Diet Drugs

Some diet drugs on the market today include:

 

 

Diet Drugs

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Diet Drugs Questions

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