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The History of Obesity Treatment

Obesity treatments have varied over the centuries. Some have advocated diet and exercise, while others believe that only cutting-edge surgical techniques and prescription drugs can help treat obese patients. Attitudes and techniques toward treating obesity have changed over the years, and will continue to change in the future.

  1. Diets

    • Diets have been used throughout the Western world to control one's weight since the 1700s. Since then, "fad diets" have cycled through various lengths of popularity. In the 1930s, the Hollywood 18-Day Diet became popular. Adherents ate boiled eggs, grapefruit, melba toast and greens.

      Later in the 20th century, other diets such as Scarsdale, Atkins and South Beach enjoyed popularity.

    Anti-Obesity Medication

    • Anti-obesity medication is a contentious issue. From ancient times until the 1800s, doctors would prescribe purgative drugs that would cause a patient to experience laxative effects in order to lose weight. In the mid-1990s, the anti-obesity medication Fen-Phen was pulled from the market after it was revealed it damaged the heart and brain. Today, medications such as Orlistat and Meridia are prescribed by doctors, but most often only in cases of extreme obesity, as the side effects can be annoying. Side effects can include oily feces and insomnia.

    Bariatric Surgery

    • Bariatric surgery was first performed in 1954 by Dr. A.J. Kremen, and was known as an intestinal bypass. This involved linking the upper portion of the small intestine to the lower portion of the same organ, thereby minimizing the absorption of food. In 1966, gastric bypass was developed by Dr. Edward Mason. This procedure was different in that it involved reducing the capacity of the stomach, rather than the intestines.

    Lap-Bands

    • Laparoscopic surgery was first performed on Sept. 1, 1993, in Huy, Belgium. The U.S. FDA approved the tradmarked Lap-Band System in June 2001.

    Weight-Loss Programs

    • In 1961, Weight Watchers was founded by a housewife from Queens named Jean Nidetch. Seventeen years later, she sold her company for a profit of $100 million. Similar programs such as Jenny Craig are also options for treating obesity and overeating.

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