Weight, Obesity, and BMI

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic. Approximately one out of every three Americans is obese, according to the National Institutes of Health. Particularly disturbing is the increase of obesity in children. According to the Nemours Foundation, 10 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds and more than 15 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight.1 In response to this trend and in consideration of the health risks of being overweight, weight-loss drugs are in great demand. Weight-loss drugs refer to any over-the-counter or prescription drug used for weight loss. Like any drug, these weight-loss aids present varying degrees of risk. Many doctors advise patients to assume the risks of these drugs even to experience the average 5- to 10-percent weight loss. This risk was grossly miscalculated, however, with drugs such as Redux and Fen-phen, which caused some consumers permanent heart and lung damage. This book will describe the health and emotional implications of being overweight, the biological mechanisms of weight-loss drugs, and the benefits and side effects of these drugs.

WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS: PILLS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Source: "Drugs The Straight Facts: Weight-Loss Drugs," Chelsea House, 2009