The burden of obesity has reached epidemic proportions. There are more than a billion overweight people in the world .The economic boom has led to the obesity boom. A typical example is China .With the decline in physical ?work, more motorized transport and more television viewing, there has been a major shift in diet from cereals to animal products.



And add to all this the unprecedented growth in the consumption of soft ?drinks and you will very soon hear of China doing a global trade in Sumo ?wrestlers. Like all Chinese products, Sumos would be imported by the Japanese at half the cost of their own wrestlers or better still they might set up a manufacturing base in Beijing.

The scenario is no exception to China. Obesity is a worldwide phenomenon. In the United States, 58 million adults are overweight. 40 million are obese and 3 million suffer from life-threatening obesity (morbid obesity).

The obesity boom is a boon to the profits of the pharmaceutical companies. Most diet drugs companies are trying to invent genuine solutions to the problems of overweight and obesity.

They have tried amphetamine-type diet pills, now they are producing diet pills that work on the brain to suppress appetite, or in the gut to inhibit the amount of fat (and calories) digested. And even though prescription-only diet pills are regulated. In short, like all drugs, diet pills carry health risks.

In addition, as stated above, OTC diet and weight loss pills are becoming more powerful yet remain unregulated. Without doubt, this has allowed certain pill-manufacturers to promote useless, even dangerous diet pills as the solution to weight loss without any evidence to support such weight-loss claims.

Examples of prescription diet pills include brands like: Meridia (Sibutramine), Xenical (Orlistat), Adipex, Bontril, Didrex, Phentermine and Tenuate.

Phentermine is an appetite suppressant, helping users curtail overeating. They are currently sold as Ionamin and Adipex

Adipex is the best selling brand name of Phentermine, (FEN-ter-meen). Adipex is the most effective weight loss drug on the market. It's an appetite suppressant used along with diet, exercise, and behavior therapy for the short-term management of obesity.

This medicine works by stimulating your hypothalamus gland, and affects certain neurotransmitters to decrease your appetite. It's used with an overall plan to reduce your weight. Adipex hydrochloride is similar chemically to amphetamines. It has the potential for psychological dependency so you should use with caution.

Didrex is a prescription medication designed to help users lose weight by functioning as appetite suppressant. In this sense, it is intended to prevent weight gain rather than cure the excess fat after its absorption in the body. Like many weight loss medications, it is typically prescribed only to the very obese who are at risk for serious health risks as a result. Because of certain side effects it is only suitable for short term use.

Xenical is a weight loss medication based on Orlistat, which acts as a lipase inhibitor by letting part of the fat consumed pass through the intestine without being absorbed. Xenical has proven to be effective and especially suitable for patients suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, as it is not affecting the patient's metabolic rate.

Meridia is an appetite suppressant used along with diet, exercise, and behavior therapy for the short-term management of obesity.

It's important to balance the health and side effects of weight loss pills with the risks of obesity. Remember, prescription diet pills are designed for patients who already have significant health risks. Side effects of prescription pills that decrease appetite include things like: restlessness or tremor, nervousness or anxiety, headache or dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth, diarrhea, constipation, or worse still impotence.