PURPOSE:Obesity costs the U.S. roughly $147 billion in health care spending annually. There has been a call for healthcare providers to initiate all possible weight loss interventions. One treatment strategy not used to its fullest potential is that of prescribing antiobesity medications. The purpose of this project was to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of three common weight loss medications used in the treatment of obesity, including discussion and recommendations.
METHODS: This project was a single-center retrospective study comparing three different groups of patients seen at a rural weight loss clinic. The sample consisted of 84 patients seen between September 2014 to September 2017. Three groups taking Adipex, Adipex + Contrave, and Apidex + Saxenda were evaluated for effectiveness on weight loss, BMI, and waist circumference. Compliance to medications, diet, and exercise were evaluated.
RESULTS: Each medication group proved to be effective in treating obesity. On average, patients taking Adipex had 7.2% weight loss, Adipex + Contrave had 7.2% weight loss, and Adipex + Saxenda averaged 9.1% weight loss. Compliance to diet and exercise was a determinant for weight loss success. Those that did not comply to the medication regimen or a diet and exercise plan did not decrease obesity measures.
CONCLUSION: Pharmacotherapy is an adjunctive therapy to diet and exercise. No differences in the effectiveness of medication between groups was found; however, each medication was statistically proven to be effective in obesity reduction. Adipex, while proving just as effective as combination therapy, is the most affordable and when applicable should be considered along with diet and exercise for those seeking weight loss
