What Kinds Of Medications Can Help Me Lose Weight?

February 1, 2009 -- Question: What kinds of medications can help me lose weight?

Answer: It's important to emphasize that, at best, medications are only an additional tool to help with weight loss. The essential ingredient to losing weight and maintaining it through weight control is adopting and maintaining healthier habits of eating and of regular physical activity. But there are some medications that have been approved as an aid to weight control.

They may help people lose a modest additional amount of weight and have more success in keeping the weight off. These products are available by prescription. They're FDA-approved for this purpose. There are several that are approved only for short-term use. And there are a couple that are approved for longer term use.