Types of Weight Loss Pills

How do Weight Loss Drugs work?

Weight loss drugs regulate weight either by altering appetite, the metabolic rate or absorption.

• Suppression of appetite- Diet pills that suppress appetite, or transmit mock signals of satiety to the brain are known as appetite suppressants (anorectic drugs). They induce a person to eat less by sending signals to the brain that hunger has been satisfied. As a result, people eat less and so fewer calories are available to the body.

• Increasing the body's metabolism - Some diet pills increase the metabolic rate of the body and therefore help to burn more calories.

• Interfering with the absorption process- Some diet pills interfere with the body's ability to absorb specific nutrients in food like fat. Eg: Orlistat (also known as Xenical and Alli) blocks fat breakdown and thereby prevents absorption of fat in the body. Over-the-counter fiber supplements like glucomannan or guar gum have been used for inhibiting digestion and lowering caloric absorption.

Reference for Weight Loss Drugs

1. Coutinho W. The first decade of sibutramine and orlistat: a reappraisal of their expanding roles in the treatment of obesity and associated conditions. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2009;53/2: 262-70.
2. Tziomalos K, Krassas G, Tzotzas T. The use of sibutramine in the management of obesity and related disorders: An update. Vascular Health and Risk Management 2009:5 441�452
3. Leite C, Mocelin CA, Petersen GO, Leal MB, Thiesen FV. Rimonabant: an antagonist drug of the endocannabinoid system for the treatment of obesity. Pharmacological Reports 2009, 61:217-224
4. Questions and Answers about FDA�s Initiative Against Contaminated Weight Loss Products- (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/QuestionsAnswers/ucm136187.htm)