Uses and misuses of the new pharmacotherapy of obesity.

The worldwide epidemic of obesity has made the development of effective treatment ever more urgent. Appropriate use of medication for the treatment of obesity may benefit patients at risk for developing diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis or gall bladder disease. In addition, with the appearance of very safe medications, short-term treatment for the relief of the stigma associated with obesity may also be valuable. The currently available medications for obesity work either by reducing fat digestion or by acting on receptor systems in the brain. Both have potential side-effects, but may be useful alone or in combination. The expansion of knowledge about the control of obesity offers the hope that many new agents will become available over the next decade.