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Considering a Prescreption Weight Loss Drug?

Weigh the Pros and Cons

According to David Orloff, "There is no magic pill for obesity." So who is he? Orloff is the director of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products demission of the FDA. For many dieters who have done everything and found that nothing worked, this gives some cause for concern.

Orloff adds that if a person is already using a feasible diet and moderate exercise plan a weight loss drug might “provide additional help”, if that drug has been well researched. With thousands of drugs for weight loss available, who can say which to choose? Some are simply imitations of the best. Many are so new they have no research to support their claims.

For short-term results many healthcare professionals acknowledge that careful use of some weight loss medications can help. This is true for the areas of blocking, burning, suppressing or flushing. Even so, it is foolhardy to take a weight loss drug without checking it first. Visit your doctor and review the appropriate choices first.

Your doctor is better prepared to be watchful for harmful side effects and should be familiar with your body chemistry and health history.

Research shows many popular weight loss drugs and products are ineffective. Most are not effective for weight loss in the long run. This includes:

• "Fat blockers" to stop or inhibit the absorption of fat,
• Diet patches,
• Magnetic flushes,
• Starch blockers,
• Spirulina and some other natural weight loss products
• Bulk fillers such as guar gum can cause intestinal blockages.

The process of achieving and maintaining fitness is challenging, sometimes confusing and often frustrating. It is not easy. Exercise caution with your choices.

A careful search shows some weight loss drugs with known results and FDA approval. These often project a five percent loss of body weight. This may not sound like much but remember these are adjuncts to your overall diet plan. Their use is to help you reach your goals. They are not magic and have no long range benefits for weight loss. For a variety of complicating health reasons many of these drugs cannot be used by certain patients.

Americans are dieters. Only about five percent of us retain those losses. About 50 million Americans diet every year. Seeking the quick fix or the miracle cure, Americans bounce from one program to another and move through periods of dieting and not dieting like yo-yos. The lack of logic leads us to fast food restaurants and then perhaps radical diets or surgery, checking the scales along the way.

With all of the variables involved, it really is natural to seek a quick cure and many look to medication for help. Think carefully before making a decision about taking a weight loss drug. They have side effects; some severe. Combined with your particular physical issues and physiology that could bring unpleasant results from your recipe for high-risk dieting.

If your doctor agrees that one of these drugs may help you, go ahead. Carefully follow all instructions. Drink lots of water. Begin a moderate diet and exercise program. Sometimes small behaviors make a difference, like chewing 20 times for every bite. It slows you down and helps keep you mindful of what you are doing.

Nobody said it would be easy to lose weight. So do your homework. Plan ahead. Cheating hurts. Do your best. This may be your best avenue for success to build a healthier and happier you.

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