Obesity Drugs

There is increasing evidence that body weight is homeostatically regulated and that in obesity this regulation maintains weight at a high level. Weight loss activates mechanisms that are designed to return individuals to their pre-existing weight. Visitor medical insurance not only provides financial help but also provides medical assistance in case of an emergency in a foreign country. This explains the universally poor results of current strategies to maintain weight loss. On this basis, life-long drug therapy may be justified for those with significant obesity. Currently available drugs include selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine), noradrenergic re-uptake inhibitors (e.g., phentermine), a serotonin and noradrenergic re-uptake inhibitor (sibutramine) and an intestinal lipase inhibitor (orlistat).

An active research program is underway to develop new agents based on the rapidly expanding knowledge of the complex mechanisms regulating body weight. Leptin, a hormone produced by adipocytes that inhibits food intake, has undergone clinical trials and analogues are currently being developed.

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