Barriers to the Treatment of Obesity

There is clear and convincing evidence that modern appetite-suppressant drugs are effective and safe, however, there are several barriers to the proper use of these drugs and other treatments.

Abstract

Editorials15 July 1991Barriers to the Treatment of ObesityGeorge A. Bray, MDGeorge A. Bray, MDAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-115-2-152 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThere is clear and convincing evidence that modern appetite-suppressant drugs are effective and safe. However, there are several barriers to the proper use of these drugs and other treatments. These barriers include the public perception that obesity is a disease resulting from a lack of willpower, the professional expectation that appetite-suppressant drugs should cure obesity, hindrance by state licensing agencies, regulatory rigidity, limited research funding, and legislative grandstanding.Clinical and experimental data suggest that modern appetite-suppressant drugs have little risk (1, 2). Drug abuse with amphetamine, methamphetamine, and phenmetrazine is well recognized, and these drugs have no place in the...References1. Bray G. The Obese Patient. v. 9 of Major Problems in Internal Medicine. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 1976:1-450. Google Scholar2. WeintraubBray MG. Drug treatment of obesity. Med Clin North Am. 1989;73:237-50. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. GriffithsBradyBradford RJL. Predicting the abuse liability of drugs with animal drug self-administration procedures: psychomotor stimulants and hallucinogens. Adv Behav Pharmacol. 1979;2:163-208. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. Allon N. The stigma of overweight in everyday life. In: Bray GA, ed. Obesity in Perspective. DHEW Publ No (NIH) 75-708, Bethesda, Maryland: National Institutes of Health; 1975:83-102. Google Scholar5. NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement. Health implications of obesity. Ann Intern Med. 1985;103:1073-7. LinkGoogle Scholar6. MaddoxLiederman GV. Overnight as a social disability with medical implications. J Med Educ. 1969;44:214-20. MedlineGoogle Scholar7. RichardLasagna BL. Anorectic drugs: drug policy making at the state level. J Clin Pharmacol. 1988;28:395-400. CrossrefGoogle Scholar8. Scoville B. Review of amphetamine-like drugs by the Food and Drug Administration: clinical data and value judgments. In: Bray GA, ed. Obesity in Perspective. Bethesda, Maryland: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; 1975: pp 441-3. DHEW publication no. (NIH) 75-708. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Pennington Biomedical Research Center Baton Rouge, LA 70808Requests for Reprints: George A. Bray, MD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByObesity in Children – a Therapeutic ChallengeObstructive Sleep Apnea: A review of current treatment optionsAntiobesity drug therapy: a call for more rigorous end-point evaluationSibutramineUse of sibutramine to treat obesityRecent progress in obesity pharmacotherapyBarriers to TreatmentCaring for patients with morbid obesity in hospitalObesity: prevalence, causes, health risks and treatmentLong-Term Drug Treatment of Obesity in a Private Practice SettingRecent Advances in the Pharmacological Control of Energy Balance and Body WeightUSE OF DRUGS IN THE TREATMENT OF OBESITYOffice-Based Treatment of Adult ObesityRegulation of Body Adiposity and the Problem of ObesityMEDICATING THE OBESE PATIENTThe Addition of Dexfenfluramine to Fluoxetine in the Treatment of Obesity: A Randomized Clinical TrialA Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of SibutramineObesity and Surgery for a Chronic DiseaseCurrent views on obesityChapter 21. Treating Obesity in the 21st CenturyEvaluation of Drugs for Treating ObesitySibutramine: A Novel New Agent for Obesity TreatmentDrug Treatment of Obesity: The Argument in FavorObesityControversy about the treatment of obesity: Criticisms or challenges?A Case for Drug Treatment of Obesity2 Animal models of obesity—theories of aetiologyAmphetamine: The Janus of Treatment for ObesityObstructive sleep apneaObesity, anorexia, and bulimiaRisk Factors for the Development of ObesityCentral nervous system stimulants and drugs which suppress appetiteMANAGEMENT OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEAProspects for the treatment of obesityPathophysiology of obesityBarriers to Treating ObesityJules Hirsch, MDOrlistat and Sibutramine in the Management of Obesity 15 July 1991Volume 115, Issue 2Page: 152-153KeywordsAmphetaminesDrug abuseDrug licensingDrugsMotivationObesityPerceptionResearch funding Issue Published: 15 July 1991 PDF DownloadLoading ...