In a consumer market saturated with advertising for prescription pharamceuticals, it’s no wonder at all that drug manufacturers have found in diet drugs a profitable sector into which to invest considerable research and marketing. This is not an attack on the pharmaceutical industry, which, when motivated properly by the structures of capitalism, thrives under the demand for weight loss prescription drugs. Ultimately, goal-setting and achievement in a market economy drives research science forward as well as (or better than) in any other conditions. The real point is that there is a mounting consumer demand for chemical solutions to the human condition, and body image with respect to body weight is a big part of that condition in first-world societies.
Standing FDA regulations delineate between supplements and drugs that may be vended over-the-counter and pharmaceuticals which are available by prescription only. Although more detailed policy determines its status, a drug which is available over-the-counter must be considered well-tolerated by most, have minimal abuse potential, and be considered safe for use without the direct supervision of a doctor. It follows, then, that prescription diet drugs are generally a more powerful alternative to over-the-counter supplements and drugs. Prescription drugs have a greater potential to effect change, but they bear more serious risks, more debilitating side-effects, and require a great deal more professional oversight.
Prescription diet drugs are often referred to as “anti-obesity drugs,” for their primary indication for helping to control weight, often in more serious clinical situations. Like their over-the-counter counterparts, prescription diet drugs generally fall into three categories: Drugs which suppress appetite; drugs which stimulate metabolism; and drugs which hinder the absorption of certain non-desireable nutrients (most commonly, fats).
Several pharmacological classes of prescription drugs may effectively combat appetite. CNS stimulant compounds in the amphetamine or phenethylamine classes, such as phentermine and benzphetamine, are prescribed often as appetite suppressants. In many cases, prescription appetite suppressants also work as a metabolic stimulants, fulfilling two roles with one drug. However, these compounds may bear significant side-effects and a high abuse potential. Non-stimulant appetite suppressants, such as exenatide (Byetta) and pramlintide (Symlin) work by mimicking hormones which the body secretes in the presence of food [1].
Diethylcathinone, another oft-prescribed appetite suppressant, is a sympathomimetic stimulant, which means it bears a similar pharmacological effect to adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine. Diethylcathinone can be viewed as a “cross-over” drug, in that it is an analog of bupropion, which is marketed as the anti-depressant Wellbutrin. Anti-depressants comprise a second class of appetite suppressants. Most anti-depressants have not been approved for use as a diet drug; however, at least three are being studied for their effects on appetite: fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft) and bupropion (Wellbutrin) [2].
The nutrient-blocking category, to which the fat blocking drugs belong, is growing by number of products and by marketing presence. The drug Orlistat, which is now available over-the-counter as “alli”, works by reducing “intestinal fat absorption by inhibiting pancreatic lipase [1]”. On a final note, disconcerting gastro-intestinal side-effects, such as flatulence and fecal incontinence, have prompted some to look elsewhere for weight control solutions.
1. “Anti-obesity drug.” Wikipedia. 29 Oct. 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_drug>. 13 Nov. 2008.
2. “Prescription Diet Pills.” Lovetoknow.
Jude Lewis - I'm a person whose whose passion is writing and research. I am building my career around the language arts and to this end I value ...
