Prescription Diet Pills
Prescription fat blockers, such as orlistat (Xenical), inhibit the action of an enzyme called lipase. When we eat foods with fat in them, lipase normally breaks down the fat when it gets to the intestinal tract. With a lipase inhibitor in effect, a percentage of the fat ingested is removed from the body through bowel movements instead of being broken down and absorbed. Phentermine
Many prescription drugs are used as diet aids even though that was not their intended purpose. Some antidepressants are used "off-label" as diet aids because they have been shown in studies to help patients lose weight and keep it off for several months. Researchers are also studying certain drugs normally used to treat epilepsy (topiramate and zonisamide) and diabetes (metformin) for their weight-loss potential.
Because diet pills are such a lucrative business, pharmaceutical companies are pushing to introduce more products to the market. More than 100 new weight-loss medications are either in development or in clinical trials as of January 2005. One of the most promising is rimonabant (Acomplia), which acts on a protein in the brain called the endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are similar in structure to the active ingredient in cannabis (marijuana) and may be responsible for appetite control. Rimonabant blocks the endocannabinoids from reaching their receptors in the brain. (See Study: Marijuana-like substances control appetite to learn more.) By blocking this protein, the drug reduces food cravings. In clinical trials, one-third of obese people who were given Acomplia lost more than 10 percent of their body weight and were able to keep it off for up to two years. The drug also has a few welcome side effects: It increases HDLs ("good cholesterol") while lowering triglycerides (a form of fat that is carried in the bloodstream). Acomplia may even help smokers kick the habit.
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Other promising drugs affect appetite-related hormones. One blocks ghrelin, which the stomach sends to the brain to increase appetite. Another mimics a hormone called PYY, which tells the body it's full.
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