Anti-Obesity Medication

The following is from Wikipedia - The free encyclopedia

Anti-obesity medication or weight loss drugs refer to all pharmacological agents that reduce or control weight. These drugs alter one of the fundamental processes of the human body, weight regulation, by either altering appetite, metabolism, or absorption of calories. It is common for them to be tried and if there is little or no benefit from them to discontinue treatment.[1] The main treatment modalities for overweight and obesity are dieting and physical exercise.

Because of potential side effects, it is recommended that anti-obesity drugs only be prescribed for obesity where it is hoped that the benefits of the treatment outweigh its risks

Mechanisms of action
Anti-obesity drugs operate through one or more of the following mechanisms:

Suppression of the appetite. Catecholamines and their derivatives (such as amphetamine-based drugs) are the main tools used for this. Drugs blocking the cannabinoid receptors may be a future strategy for appetite suppression.[citation needed]
Increase of the body's metabolism.[citation needed]
Interference with the body's ability to absorb specific nutrients in food. For example, Orlistat (also known as Xenical and Allī) blocks fat breakdown and thereby prevents fat absorption. The OTC fiber supplements glucomannan and guar gum have been used for the purpose of inhibiting digestion and lowering caloric absorption
Anorectics are primarily intended to suppress the appetite, but most of the drugs in this class also act as stimulants (dexedrine, e.g.), and patients have abused drugs "off label" to suppress appetite (e.g. digoxin).

[edit] Anti-obesity drugs
If diet and exercise are ineffective alone, anti-obesity drugs are a choice for some patients. Some prescription weight loss drugs are stimulants, which are recommended only for short-term use, and thus are of limited usefulness for extremely obese patients, who may need to reduce weight over months or years.[citation needed]

Orlistat
Orlistat (Xenical) reduces intestinal fat absorption by inhibiting pancreatic lipase. Originally available only by prescription, it was approved by the FDA for over-the-counter sale in February 2007. [1] Orlistat may cause frequent, oily bowel movements (steatorrhea), but if fat in the diet is reduced, symptoms often improve.

Sibutramine
Sibutramine (Reductil or Meridia) is an anorectic or appetite suppressant, reducing the desire to eat. Both drugs have side effects. Sibutramine may increase blood pressure and may cause dry mouth, constipation, headache, and insomnia.

Rimonabant
Rimonabant (Acomplia) is a recently developed anti-obesity medication. It is cannabinoid (CB1) receptor antagonist that acts centrally on the brain thus decreasing appetite.[4] It may also act peripherally by increasing thermogenesis and therefore increasing energy expenditure.[4] These drugs not only cause weight loss, but prevent or reverse the metabolic effects of obesity, such as insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia.[citation needed]

Weight loss with Rimonabant however has not been shown to be greater than other available weight-loss medication.[4] Due to safety concerns, primarily psychiatric in nature, the drug has not received approval in the United States or Canada, either as an anti-obesity treatment or as a smoking-cessation drug.

Sanofi-Aventis has received approval to market Rimonabant as a prescription anti-obesity drug in the European Union, subject to some restrictions, however, in October 2008, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) recommended that Acomplia no longer be available in UK. One month later, Sanofi-Aventis decided it would no longer study rimonabant for any indication.

Metformin
In people with Diabetes mellitus type 2, the drug metformin (Glucophage) can reduce weight.[5]

Exenatide
Exenatide (Byetta) is a long-acting analogue of the hormone GLP-1, which the intestines secrete in response to the presence of food. Among other effects, GLP-1 delays gastric emptying and promotes a feeling of satiety. Some obese people are deficient in GLP-1, and dieting reduces GLP-1 further.[6] Byetta is currently available as a treatment for Diabetes mellitus type 2. Some, but not all, patients find that they lose substantial weight when taking Byetta. Drawbacks of Byetta include that it must be injected subcutaneously twice daily, and that it causes severe nausea in some patients, especially when therapy is initiated. Byetta is recommended only for patients with Type 2 Diabetes. A somewhat similar drug, Symlin, is currently available for treating diabetes and is in testing for treating obesity in non-diabetics.

Pramlintide
Pramlintide (Symlin) is a synthetic analogue of the hormone Amylin, which in normal people is secreted by the pancreas in response to eating. Among other effects, Amylin delays gastric emptying and promotes a feeling of satiety. Many diabetics are deficient in Amylin. Currently, Symlin is only approved to be used along with insulin by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. However, Symlin is currently being tested in non-diabetics as a treatment for obesity. A drawback is that Symlin must be injected at mealtimes.


Just a few days ago I came across an article in one of the papers which said that Sibutramine, a drug used in anti-obesity medication had been banned in Europe.
What drugs the USA and Europe ban today, India bans five years hence for the multinational drug companies wield much more power in India and our leaders are more easily corruptible..
Indian authorities were now thinking of banning the drug in India.
My wife, like most Indian housewives is overweight.
Her doctor had prescribed a medicine for that.
I was interested to know what the drug was.
I found that it was Sibutramine.
I immediately telephoned her physician who had prescribed the drug and informed him of the research.
He said the drug was harmful for the Europeans but it was OK for us.
I suppose they (the Europeans) come from another planet.
However, he advised me to change the medicine to "Reeshape" which contains "Orlistat"

Since Obesity is a common problem for many of our readers, I did a bit of research on the net and have come up with the above knowledge.
I hope our readers may find it useful