title: Medications for weight reduction.
abstract: Only two drugs are currently approved for long-term use in the treatment of obesity and four others for short-term use. Evaluating the risk-benefit profile is an essential first step. For individuals who have a low body mass index for whom the risk is small, the risk profile must make the drug acceptable for almost everyone. For higher-risk patients, such as those planning intestinal bypass or who have sleep apnea, a wider range of drugs may be considered. Obesity is a chronic disease that has many causes. Treatment is aimed at palliation-that is, producing and maintaining weight loss. Regardless of the primary site of action, the net effect must be a reduction in food intake or increase in energy expenditure.
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA. brayga@pbrc.edu
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017277:Drug Approval; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents