Weight Loss Medication Programs

Weight loss medications are useful during medical weight loss to help people adhere to their treatment plan. While medication alone has a limited effect on weight loss, when used in combination with calorie-controlled diets and programs to increase activity, weight loss medications have proven effective in helping individuals achieve long-term weight control.

Types of Weight Loss Medications

Prescription drugs used in medical weight loss are generally classified according to how they affect your body. The main types of weight loss drugs are appetite suppressant medications and so called "fat blocker" medications.

How do Appetite Suppressants Work?

Appetite suppressants affect the chemicals in your body that make you feel hungry or full. These medications usually increase the brain chemicals serotonin or catecholamine to decrease your interest in eating. Examples of appetite suppressants that are used most often are: Didrex, Tenuate, Sanorex, Mazanor, Adipex-P, and Meridia.

How do Fat Blockers Work?

Fat absorption inhibitors, or fat blocker medications, prevent the normal breakdown of fat in your diet so that it can't be absorbed into the body. These medications cause the undigested fat to simply pass through your digestive system unaltered. The most commonly used fat absorption inhibitor is called Orlistat or Xenical.

Who Should Use Weight Loss Medications?

The main thing to note about weight loss pills is that even the best prescription medications are only moderately effective at achieving weight loss, and without lifestyle changes to improve your diet and increase activity levels, the effects of weight loss pills are usually only temporary. It is generally safe to say that weight loss pills purchased over the counter do not provide any sustainable weight loss effects.

Weight loss medications are useful as a tool to help you make the lifestyle changes necessary for long-term weight loss. There is strong evidence that suggests that the 10% weight loss typically seen with weight loss medications is enough to reduce many weight-related health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

What are the Risks of Weight Loss Medications?

Like any medication, weight loss pills, prescription or otherwise, carry some risk if used for a long period. You should be aware of the potential side effects of any medication that you take and discuss any unusual symptoms that you experience while taking weight loss medication with Dr. Hella. 

Over-the-counter weight loss pills pose a much greater threat to your health as there are few regulations governing the production of these products. Many off-the-shelf weight loss medications contain potentially dangerous levels of chemicals that are not mentioned on the labels and those chemicals have been implicated in fatalities.

How Do I Get Weight Loss Medications?

To find out if weight loss medications are an appropriate choice to help you lose weight, Dr. Hella will first complete a detailed history and physical evaluation. Based on this information, Dr. Hella will discuss weight loss treatment options that will provide the best long-term weight loss results for you.