Obesity

Obesity medications

Most rapid weight-loss medicines for obesity work by making you feel less hungry or making you feel full sooner. They are used together with very low-calorie diet and exercise. Medicine is generally used only for those who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. But they sometimes are used for those with a BMI of 27 or higher who are at risk for high blood pressure, lipid metabolism, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. Orlistat (Alli) is also available over the counter. Alli contains half of the medicine that is in Xenical. Over-the-counter orlistat is not meant for use by anyone under the age of 18.