The Top Five Most Effective Diet Drugs

The safest way to lose weight is through exercise and a healthy diet, say the Mayo Clinic. However, there are people whose slow metabolisms or advanced state of obesity cause them to need help to jump start their weight loss. That's when physicians turn to diet pills. Even then, the Mayo Clinic warns that diet pills are a supplement to lifestyle changes, not a replacement for them. That being said, physicians have several new drugs for short-term use that offer hope to people in need of help --- particularly for obese patients.

Xenical

• Xenical, and its low-dose counterpart Alli, were designed with the obese patient in mind. They block the breakdown and absorption of fat from ingested food --- which instead passes through the digestive tract whole and is eliminated via bowel movements. Some claim it's important to also reduce intake of fats while using the drug because the resulting stool can be loose and oily. Clinical studies show patients taking Xenical lose an average of 12 to 13 lbs. per year, most of which occurs during the first six months. While Xenical is clinically proven to produce results greater than an obese patient can typically expect, diet and exercise are necessary for more substantial weight loss.

Phentermine

• Doctors commonly pull phentermine from their prescriptive arsenal. It has a long track record as an effective appetite suppressant. Phentermine tricks the part of the brain that controls appetite into thinking it's full. The result is a less hungry patient. At the same time, this strategy works best when phentermine users make smart dietary choices. It also is not meant for long-term use. Patients need to take advantage of their time on the medication to make advances with their weight loss and change their lifestyles to prevent regaining the weight. Phentermine is available in generic form, making it one of the lower cost diet drugs and affordable to uninsured patients.

Meridia

• The patented drug, Meridia (whose chemical name is sibutramine) isn't as affordable as other options, but helps patients lose 5 to 10 percent more weight than they would with diet and exercise alone. Meridia also targets the appetite center of the brain, causing it to create the sensation of being full. Because of its shorter track record, some physicians prefer to use it with younger patients with lower risk for heart disease and other medical complications.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is an over-the-counter "nutraceutical" hailed by supporters of natural medicine and supplements as one of the few natural diet pills deemed "possibly effective" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. CLA is found in beef and dairy products. When extracted and consumed in concentrated doses, it has been shown to reduce body fat. However, clinical studies have not yet demonstrated whether it is effective for weight reduction. Many maintain that what reduces body fat must lead to weight loss and so it remains popular as a natural diet pill. CLA has the added advantage of being deemed safe by the FDA.

Amphetamines

• Amphetamines are dangerous to use because they can be addictive. Your high school substance abuse program warned you against them. However, amphetamines are effective diet drugs. They're also legal in over-the-counter forms found in any drugstore. Even doctors prescribe amphetamines occasionally when they feel the situation is appropriate and they can effectively monitor their patients. Amphetamines are powerful stimulants that suppress appetites, increase energy levels and increase muscle contractions, which in turn burn more energy. However, they are sometimes known as "boomerang" drugs as users frequently regain weight as soon as they stop taking their pills. This, of course, leads to the tendency toward addiction.