Including medication as part of a weight-loss program is an accepted medical practice. As with most medical decisions, the assessment to use or avoid weight-loss drugs is best made in consultation with a physician experienced in the treatment of obesity.
Physicians are encouraged to follow professional guidelines when prescribing weight-loss medications. The current guidelines stress that a lifestyle weight-loss program should always be the primary treatment for obesity. Medications, if used, should be a secondary treatment and their use limited to obese individuals (or individuals who are overweight and have weight-related health complications).
The prescription weight-loss pills on the market today work in one of two ways. One group works on brain neurotransmitters (chemicals that communicate between nerve cells) to reduce appetite. Examples of these drugs include sibutramine (brand names Meridia and Reductil) and phentermine (many brand names including Adipex-P, Ionomin, Obenix, Oby-Trim).
The second type of weight-loss medication works in the intestines to prevent fat calories from entering the body. Orlistat (brand name Xenical) is the only drug currently available by prescription that works in this way.
New obesity drugs are being developed. The drug Rimonabant (brand name Accomplia) is currently under consideration for approval in several countries, but everebody can buy Rimonabant online without a prescription. Rimonabant also affects how the brain regulates food intake, but in a different way than sibutramine or phentermine.