Weight loss pills are pharmacological agents that help reduce or control weight. These pills alter one of the fundamental processes of our body, weight regulation, by changing either appetite or absorption of calories. However, weight loss pills work best with the primary treatment modalities for obese people, dieting, and physical exercise. The United States FDA approved several weight loss medications for long-term use, such as orlistat, which works by reducing the intestinal fat absorption via inhibition of pancreatic lipase. The FDA approves weight loss pills for obese or over-weight people, especially those with weight-related medical conditions. How do weight loss pills work? Current and potential weight loss pills may work through one or more of the following mechanisms: Catecholamine releasing agents like amphetamine, phentermine, and other related substituted amphetamines such as bupropion, which acts as appetite suppressants, are important tools used for treating obesity. Increase the body’s metabolic rate to boost the metabolism for faster and better digestion leading to weight loss. Interfering with the ability of the body to absorb specific nutrients from foods. For instance, some medications block fat breakdown in the body and prevent the absorption of fat. Some OTC fiber supplements like glucomannan and guar gum are also useful for inhibiting lower caloric absorption and digestion. Anorectics primarily intend to suppress the appetite, but most of the weight loss pills in this class of medications also act as stimulants such as amphetamine, and people abuse them “off-label” to suppress appetite. What are some common weight loss pills? Most of the weight loss patients think that diet and exercise are not a viable option for them. For these patients, weight loss pills are the last ray of hope. The medications are the last resort to all the people for whom other weight loss options do not work or are not sufficient enough to provide the required results. Some prescription weight loss pills are stimulants, which are only for short-term use, and thus have limited usefulness for the extremely obese patients who need to shed pounds of weight for months and years. Other weight loss pills are useful in the long run. The long-term weight-loss medications are specifically for those patients who are extremely obese and need to lose weight over several weeks or maybe a couple of years. Orlistat is a famous weight loss medication that reduces intestinal fat absorption by inhibiting the pancreatic enzyme lipase. The FDA approved this medication for over the counter sale in the year 2007. It has millions of users worldwide with very few or mild unwanted effects reported by its use. Cetilistat is a medicine to treat obesity. It acts similarly like orlistat, but it significantly reduces more weight than orlistat and has a better tolerance within patients. The FDA approved lorcaserin in 2012 for obesity. The medication reduces appetite by activating the 5-HT-2C receptor, a type of serotonin receptor, in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus, which controls appetite. Sibutramine is an appetite suppressant or anorectic that reduces the desire to eat. In the United States, it is one of the safest medications for weight loss, with apparently no harm to the patient. Metformin is useful in reducing weight for people with type-2 diabetes mellitus. The medication limits the amount of glucose the liver produces and also increases muscle consumption of glucose. It also helps increase the body’s response to insulin. The FDA approved phentermine or a combination of phentermine and topiramate for the treatment of obesity complementary to exercise and diet. It is a preferable medication for weight loss in the United States as it helps reduce more weight with very less or no side effects. Who can use weight loss pills? Prescription weight loss pills are for people who have a “YES” for the below questions: Are you an adult who is obese or over-weight and has weight-related severe health problems? Have you not been able to achieve significant weight loss even after trying a rigorous diet and exercise? Are you fighting your over-weight for a long time and tried every other option for weight loss? A doctor may prescribe you weight loss pills if you haven’t been able to lose required weight through exercise and diet and meet one of the following conditions: Have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30Have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 27 and a severe weight-related medical problem such as high blood pressure or diabetes Before selecting a weight loss medication, a health care provider considers the health history, possible side effects, and potential drug interactions. All prescription weight loss pills approved for long-term use may produce a significant loss of weight compared to placebo. Additionally, studies show that adding weight loss medications to the lifestyle changes produce much faster and considerable results for weight loss than lifestyle changes alone produce. Over about 12 months, lifestyle changes alone may produce a weight loss of about 3 to 7 percent of the total body weight. It may seem like a modest amount of weight loss, but sustained 5 to 10 percent loss of total body weight also has health benefits such as lowering of blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels. How long does weight loss therapy last? How long a person needs to take the weight loss pills depends on whether the medication helps them lose weight and whether it has any unwanted effects on their body. If a person lost enough weight to improve their health and aren’t having any serious side effects, the health care provider may suggest them to stay on the medication indefinitely. A doctor will probably change the treatment or medication if a person doesn’t lose at least 5 percent of the total body weight within 12 weeks of using the weight loss pills. After stopping the use of weight loss pills, people may start gaining weight again. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle will help them manage their weight in the long run.