6 ways to use medication to use lose weight

Prescription weight-loss medicines can help obese people lose weight. They are usually prescribed by a doctor when diet and exercise alone are not working. Each of these medicines works differently. People who use these medicines may not feel as hungry. Or they may feel full after eating only a small amount of food. Another type of weight-loss medicine makes it harder for your body to absorb fat. Prescription weight-loss drugs can be helpful when used in combination with a low-calorie diet and regular physical activity. If you are struggling with your weight, a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity may help you lose weight and keep it off over the long term. If these lifestyle changes are not enough to help you lose weight or maintain your weight loss, your health care professional may prescribe medications as part of your weight-control program.

Some options are more popular than others, including certain pills, drugs, and natural supplements. These claim to help you lose weight, or at least to make it easier to lose weight when you combine them with other methods.

Who uses prescription weight-loss medicines?

Prescription weight-loss medicines are only for people who are obese. Most of these medicines are designed for people who weigh 20% or more above what is ideal for their height and body type. Or they are used with people who have a high body mass index (BMI). The BMI is a measure of your weight in relation to your height. Your doctor may prescribe you medicine to treat your obesity if you have

• A BMI of 30 or greater.
• A BMI of 27 or more and you have a disease or condition that may be related to your weight (this could include diabetes or high blood pressure).

Your doctor can tell you if prescription weight-loss medicines might be helpful for you.

Obesity is a chronic disease that affects more than 4 in 10 adults in the United States, and nearly 1 in 10 Americans have severe obesity.

They tend to work via one or more of these mechanisms:

• Reducing appetite, making you feel more full so that you eat fewer calories
• Reducing absorption of nutrients such as fat, making you take in fewer calories
• Increasing fat burning, making you burn more calories

It’s important to note that few of these treatments have any basis in science and some could have serious health consequences. You should always discuss any diet or supplement changes with a doctor or registered dietitian.

 

 

 

 Limit portion sizes

Appetite sometimes increases when taking certain medications. People on antidepressants, for instance, may find that they have an increased appetite because their mood has improved.

Learning to listen to hunger cues and control portion size can help limit weight gain.

 

Talk to a dietitian

Those concerned about weight gain on medication should seek advice from a dietitian to evaluate their current diet. A dietitian can help people who have a renewed appetite find a healthful way Trusted Source to satiate their hunger.

Get enough sleep

Quality sleep is a critical component of health. Poor sleep can have adverse effects on the body, including an increase in fat stores and elevated stress hormone levels.

Switch to a different medication

The first strategy to consider involves changing medications. People experience different side effects when taking different drugs.

If weight gain affects a person’s health, a doctor may be able to prescribe a similar medication that is less likely to produce an increase in weight.

Green coffee bean extract

Green coffee beans are simply coffee beans that haven’t been roasted.

They contain two substances believed to help with weight loss: caffeine and chlorogenic acid.

How it works: Caffeine can increase fat burning, and chlorogenic acid can slow the breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut.

Effectiveness: Several human studies have shown that green coffee bean extract could help people lose weight. A meta-analysis of all the current randomized control trials on green coffee bean extract’s effect on obesity found that the supplement has a significant impact on minimizing body mass index.

Other benefits: Green coffee bean extract may help lower blood sugar levels and reduce blood pressure. It is also high in antioxidants.

Side effects: It can cause the same side effects as caffeine. The chlorogenic acid it contains may also cause diarrhea, and some people may be allergic to green coffee beans.

 

 

Caffeine

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world.

It is found naturally in coffee, green tea, and dark chocolate and is added to many processed foods and beverages.

Because caffeine is thought to be a metabolism booster, companies commonly add it to commercial weight loss supplements.

How it works: One study discussed the effect of caffeine on regulating body weight by increasing energy expenditure — essentially meaning you burn more calories via increased fat breakdown as well as through a process of body heat production called thermogenesis.

Effectiveness: Some studies show that caffeine can cause modest weight loss in humans .

Side effects: In some people, high amounts of caffeine can cause anxiety, insomnia, jitteriness, irritability, nausea, diarrhea, and other symptoms. Caffeine is also addictive and can reduce the quality of your sleep.

here is no need to take a supplement or a pill containing caffeine. The best sources are quality coffee and green tea, which also have antioxidants and other health benefits.

 

Orlistat (Alli)

Orlistat is a pharmaceutical drug sold over the counter under the name Alli and via prescription as Xenical.

How it works: This weight loss pill works by inhibiting the breakdown of fat in your gut, meaning that you take in fewer calories from fat.

Effectiveness: A 2003 meta-analysis of studies found that people taking orlistat for 12 months in combination with lifestyle changes saw a 2.9% greater weight reduction than the placebo group.

Other benefits: Orlistat has been shown to reduce blood pressure slightly and may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes when used alongside lifestyle changes (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).

Side effects: This drug has many digestive side effects, including loose, oily stools; flatulence; and frequent bowel movements that are hard to control. It may also contribute to deficiency in fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K .

 

Raspberry ketones

Raspberry ketone is a substance found in raspberries that is responsible for their distinct smell.

A synthetic version of raspberry ketones is sold as a weight loss supplement.

How it works: In isolated fat cells from mice, raspberry ketones increase the breakdown of fat and increase levels of a hormone called adiponectin, which is believed to be related to weight loss.

Effectiveness: There are very few studies on raspberry ketones in humans, though one 2013 study looked at raspberry ketones along with some other ingredients and found a potential 2% increase in weight loss over 8 weeks when compared with a placebo.

One mouse study using massive doses showed some delay in weight gain .

However, high doses of raspberry ketones were also associated with higher blood sugar levels and higher levels of ALT, a liver enzyme, indicating liver dysfunction.