Drug treatment of obesity.

Both diet and medications are useful in the treatment of the obese patient. Weight loss of about 10% below baseline can be achieved with both, and there is no evidence that the composition of the diet, by itself, has any influence on weight loss. Presently only 1 drug is approved for long-term treatment of overweight patients, and its effectiveness is limited to palliation of the chronic disease of obesity. Combinations of medications and antidiabetic drugs that produce weight loss are being evaluated.