CT Rapid Weight Loss Expert on Safe use of Appetite Suppressant Drugs for Anti Obesity Diet Program

www.MedWeightLossCenters.com

Medication-Dispensing Weight Loss Clinics

The use of medications in the treatment of obesity offers a safe and effective method for enhancing weight management efforts when used in a medical weight loss clinic and under the direct supervision of a weight loss specialist.

Using "diet pills" in the treatment of obesity has a certain stigma because of the association some of these medications have with amphetamines. The truth is that a certain class of medications are "amphetamine –like", but are not true amphetamines and have no addiction potential.

Another stigma relative to the use of medications in weight loss stems from the phentermine and fenfluramine (phen-fen) disaster in the late 1990´s. "Phen-fen" was a "cocktail" of phentermine and fenfluramine, two separate drugs, which worked extremely well for weight loss; however, the fenfluramine was found to be the cause of pulmonary hypertension and problems with the Aortic heart valve. Fenfluramine was taken off of the market, but phentermine remains as one of the best appetite suppressants available on the market today.

Barriers to the Use of Drugs to Treat Obesity

The use of medications can be a useful adjunct in the treatment of obesity. Judicious use includes proper drug selection, monitoring of patient progress and tailoring treatment to the individual patient.

Barriers exist to the proper use of medications and these are more philosophical and medico-legal in nature. Some of the common barriers include:

• Public perception that obesity is a disorder of willpower.

• Professional perception that weight regain after termination of treatment reflects the failure of the drug; that is drugs are expected to cure obesity.

• Regulatory rigidity that limits drugs to a few weeks.

• Licensing boards that persecute physicians for alleged misuse of appetite suppressants.

• Legislative grandstanding.

• Inadequate funding for clinical work in obesity.

Treatment with anorectic (appetite-suppressant) agents can be augmented with the use of various other substances including thyroid, minerals and herbs. The management of stress, fatigue and proper use of food and exercise can also enhance the use of medications.

Properties of an Ideal Antiobesity drug

a. Robust, sustained reduction of body weight when given in combination with a sound program of diet and exercise.

b. Acceleration of weight loss.

c. Facilitation of weight maintenance.

d. Improved compliance with hypocaloric diet.

e. Selective reduction of body fat with sparing of body protein.

f. Sufficient safety to justify chronic treatment.

g. Minimal side effects.

h. No abuse potential.

Risks

Weight loss medications are not a panacea, rather they are a tool used to help patients achieve and/or maintain weight loss. There are risks associated with some medications, especially over-the –counter preparations like Hydroxycut, which is being recalled by the FDA due to severe liver injury.

However, if you are on a medically-supervised weight loss program, where you are being prescribed the medication by a provider with advanced training in bariatric medicine, the benefits can far outweigh the risks. Again, we focus on the "judicious" use of these medications to help our patients achieve their health and weight loss goals.

Costs

Since most health insurance plans do not pay for medical weight loss, the cost of a weight loss medication is usually at the expense of the patient. The good news is that common appetite-suppressants like phentermine have been around since the 1950´s and are relatively cheap to purchase. The majority of medication-dispensing weight loss clinics can offer phentermine for about $30 per month

Benefits

Medications, like phentermine, work on two pathways in the brain; the "hunger" pathway and the "restraint" pathway. The hunger pathway works by decreasing your appetite for about twelve hours. This effect is extremely powerful the first several weeks. Phentermine also works on the restraint pathway by keeping the mind from obsessing about food. It is the restraint pathway that produces the longest, lasting results.

Another benefit of phentermine is the fact that it has been studied for many years. One group of non-dieters, who took phentermine for nine months, averaged 10% body weight loss from the thermogenic (fat-burning) properties of the medication alone.

Summary

Obesity is a chronic medical illness. Most chronic illnesses like hypertension and diabetes are treated with medications, and obesity should be no different. When used judiciously, under the care of a medical weight loss specialist, weight loss medications can be an effective weapon in the fight against the obesity epidemic.

www.MedWeightLossCenters.com

Written by:

Andrew J. Rodican, PA-C

Founder/Associate Medical Director

Medical Weight Loss Centers, LLC

836 Foxon Road

East Haven, CT 06513