Currently, there are only two weight loss medications that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for long term use; sibutramine and orlistat.  Sibutramine with the trade name of Meridia® was approved by the FDA in 1987.  Orilstat with the trade name of Xenical® received FDA approval in 1999. The over the counter lower dose of orlistat with the trade name of Alli™ became available on June 15^th of this year.   People that take these medications have been shown to lose more weight, up to 50% more, than by diet and exercise alone.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that these weight loss drugs should always be used in combination with diet, physical activity, and behavior counseling and should only be used when a person’s weight goals have been difficult to achieve by diet and exercise alone.  The NIH also has specific guidelines regarding who should use these weight loss medications.   If your body mass index (BMI) is greater or equal to 30,  or greater or equal to 27 and have at least two or more health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or sleep apnea; weight loss medications may be helpful when used along with diet, exercise, and counseling.

To calculate your BMI, which is a way of relating your body weight to your height, multiple your current weight by 703, divide that number by your height in inches, and that number by your height inches again.

Studies show that people who take sibutramine or orlistat for two years keep off almost twice as much weight as those not on these medications. 

If you have been taking either of these weight loss medications we would love to hear how they have been working for you.