title: Pharmacotherapy for obesity.
abstract: The current obesity pandemic imposes a major global disease burden. However, sustained weight loss of between 5 and 10% in the obese confers marked health benefits. Currently available pharmacotherapies, orlistat and sibutramine, can induce weight loss of between 5 and 10% over 2 years or more. However, in these trials, drug induced weight loss tends to be only 2-4 kg greater than that produced by placebo control. Despite this, in the XENDOS trial, the modest placebo-subtract weight loss produced by orlistat (2.8 kg) reduced the incidence of diabetes by over a third. Recent data on the potential anti-obesity drug rimonabant are also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Kissileff Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behaviour, School of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK. j.c.g.halford@liverpool.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jason C G
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Halford
mesh_terms: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003503:Cyclobutanes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077403:Orlistat; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D001067:Appetite Depressants; D003503:Cyclobutanes; D007783:Lactones; D000077403:Orlistat; C058254:sibutramine