Weight loss basics (11)
- Counting calories: Getting back to weight-loss basics
- Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories
- Weight-loss tip: First, make sure you're ready
- see all in Weight loss basics
Diet plans (5)
- Low-carb diets
- Weight-loss options: 6 common diet plans
- Artificial sweeteners: A safe alternative to sugar?
- see all in Diet plans
Mayo Clinic diet (6)
- Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories
- Snacks: How they fit into your weight-loss plan
- Mayo Clinic diet: A weight-loss program for life
- see all in Mayo Clinic diet
Diet and exercise (9)
- Exercise for weight loss: Calories burned in 1 hour
- Barriers to fitness: Overcoming common problems
- Aerobic exercise: Top 10 reasons to get physical
- see all in Diet and exercise
Diet pills, supplements and surgery (6)
- Gastric bypass surgery: Who is it for?
- Alli weight-loss pill: Does it work?
- Weight-loss drugs: Can a prescription help you lose weight?
- see all in Diet pills, supplements and surgery
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
continued:
Weight-loss drugs: Can a prescription help you lose weight?
Effectiveness: Modest but can improve health
Combining weight-loss drugs with a low-calorie diet and regular exercise can help you lose more weight than can either drugs or lifestyle changes alone. Combining all three — medication, fewer calories and more activity — can help you lose anywhere from 5 percent to 10 percent of your total body weight within a year.
This may not seem like many pounds lost, but even modest weight loss has a significant benefit to your health. Losing just a small percentage of your weight can decrease:
- Blood pressure
- Blood triglyceride levels
- Blood glucose levels
- Insulin levels
Weight-loss drugs don't replace the need for changes in your eating habits or activity level. They mainly improve your chances of achieving clinically significant weight loss — the amount of weight loss that has a positive impact on your health.
Drug safety: Still largely unknown
If you're among those who can benefit from a weight-loss drug, you'll likely need to take it indefinitely. When you stop drug treatment, however, much or all of the lost weight generally returns. The dilemma with taking the drugs indefinitely is that the most common weight-loss drugs are so new that possible long-term effects are unknown.
Sibutramine can cause a small increase in blood pressure that, for some people, may warrant discontinuing the drug. This drug isn't recommended for people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heartbeat or a history of stroke.
Orlistat decreases the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins — for example, vitamins A, D and E. If you're taking this drug, your doctor will recommend that you take a daily vitamin supplement to prevent potential nutrient deficiencies.
Factors to consider
You and your doctor need to carefully evaluate the potential benefits of taking a drug and weigh them against the possible long-term risks. Your doctor will also consider your health history, the possible side effects and the potential interaction of weight-loss drugs with other medications you're taking.
Keep in mind that some health insurance plans don't cover weight-loss prescription drugs. And some companies may require prior authorization before covering the expense. If you're unsure of your prescription coverage, contact your health insurance provider.
These medications can help you with weight maintenance, especially if you continue exercising regularly. But keeping off the pounds once you've lost them is an ongoing concern. And despite your efforts, you might still regain the weight.
As you consider weight-loss drugs, make sure that you make every effort to exercise, change your eating habits and adjust any other lifestyle factors that have contributed to your excess weight. Weight-loss drugs aren't the easy answer to weight loss, but they can be a useful tool to help you make the necessary diet and lifestyle changes.
Previous page(2 of 2)
