Costly anti-obesity drugs have been proved ineffective, with the majority of consumers remaining con...
Costly anti-obesity drugs have been proved ineffective, with the majority of consumers remaining considerably obese or overweight despite treatment.
According to the results of a study by scientists at the University of Alberta, fat pills generally reduced weight by less than 5kg or 5% of total body weight.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed the poor long-term efficacy of anti-obesity drugs in reducing weight and improving health status.
It tested three types of anti-obesity drugs - orlistat, sibutramine and rimonabant - and found that they only modestly reduced weight and even had specific adverse effects, despite being approved for the long-term treatment of obesity.
Evidence from 30 placebo-controlled trials, involving nearly 20,000 people, was reviewed. One of the three anti-obesity drugs was taken for a year or longer.
Obese or overweight people have a high prevalence of suffering from chronic conditions that are associated with premature mortality, chronic morbidity and increased healthcare use.
Treatment with anti-obesity drugs is common, with global sales in 2005 estimated at $1.2bn. Over a billion people worldwide are overweight or obese, making the anti-obesity drug market a lucrative one.
Last month, David Bearden, a clinical associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University also found that obese patients may not be getting appropriate dosages of prescription medication.
Antibiotics are given in a standardised dosage regardless of a person's weight or body mass index, meaning that it could lead to antibiotic failure and an increase in antibiotic resistance.
Mothers with healthy levels of B vitamins are less likely to have children who will develop health problems like obesity.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham discovered that adults with health-related disorders could originate from conditions at the point of conception.
