Researchers are working to identify safer and more effective medications to help people who are overweight or obese lose weight and maintain a healthy weight for a long time. Most prescription weight-loss drugs work by decreasing appetite or increasing feelings of fullness. Prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity work in different ways. Drug class: incretin mimetics. There was no difference in weight or body fat percentage between groups 3. Effectiveness: According to a big review of 11 studies, orlistat can increase weight loss by 6 pounds 2. Research suggests that the drugs suppress appetite and improve insulin sensitivity. What are the concerns with using prescription medications to lose weight?
Naltrexone-bupropion also works in the brain, but on the pleasure-reward areas, to decrease cravings and appetite. Was this page helpful? Most prescription weight loss drugs note in the package labeling that a person should meet certain requirements, such as a specified body mass index BMI or have a serious weight-related medical risk before using these drugs. Because obesity is a chronic condition, you may need to continue changes to your eating and physical activity habits and other behaviors for years—or even a lifetime—to improve your health and maintain a healthy weight. Has been found to cause a rare type of thyroid tumor in animals. Green coffee bean extract may cause modest weight loss, but keep in mind that many of the studies were industry sponsored. Phentermine-topiramate is a combination of two medications that work together to decrease appetite and cravings.
We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. These are claimed to help you lose weight, or at least make it easier to lose weight combined with other methods. Garcinia cambogia became popular worldwide after being featured on the Dr. Oz show in The skin of the fruit contains hydroxycitric acid HCA. This is the active ingredient in garcinia cambogia extract, which is marketed as a diet pill. How it works: Animal studies show that it can inhibit a fat-producing enzyme in the body and increase levels of serotonin, potentially helping to reduce cravings 1, 2. Effectiveness: One study with people compared garcinia against a dummy pill. There was no difference in weight or body fat percentage between groups 3.