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Many people struggle with their weight and for those who are overweight or obese, weight loss can be a challenging journey. Some people can lose weight easily on their own through simple diet and exercise. However, for others losing weight can be an uphill battle.
If you feel as though you’ve tried all the possible options with no success, you might be tempted to buy every diet pill on the internet that promises to burn fat fast. Some of these natural products can actually do more damage to your health.
Your doctor may recommend trying prescription weight loss medications such as Xenical or Mysimba. Clinical studies have proven that these increase your chances of successfully losing weight. Continue reading to learn more about these options to see if they may be suitable for you.
Weight loss pills are tablets taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise regime to encourage weight loss.
Reaching your desired weight can be challenging as many different factors influence your body weight. If you find yourself consistently grappling with progress, weight loss pills may be beneficial.
Both prescription weight loss pills and over the counter supplements are available to purchase. However, weight loss is not a quick and easy process and many people get frustrated when they don’t see fast results. While prescribed medications won't magically transform your body overnight, they can make your weight loss journey a lot smoother.
Natural remedies are usually the first resort for many people as they are easily accessible without a prescription. Some commonly used natural weight loss supplements include:
Coffee is a staple in the morning routine of many people. Some studies Trusted source Taylor & Francis Online Peer-reviewed Journals Social Sciences and Humanities Go to source even report that drinking caffeine promotes weight, body mass index (BMI) and fat loss.
Similarly, green coffee bean extract capsules are becoming an increasingly popular weight loss supplement. Green coffee beans are coffee beans that have not been roasted. Some research Trusted source National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Government Source Biomedical Research and Literature Go to source on overweight individuals suggests that green coffee bean extract is effective for weight loss.
Green tea is made from the Camellia sinensis plant. It has been praised for its benefits on weight loss because of the catechins and caffeine present in green tea. These are thought to increase metabolism, leading to weight loss.
Some studies Trusted source National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Government Source Biomedical Research and Literature Go to source have shown that green tea causes small changes in weight. However, because the amount of weight loss is small, it is unlikely to be clinically important.
Garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit, the rind of this fruit contains the ingredients thought to cause weight loss.
More research is needed to confirm if these natural supplements can help with weight loss, despite some studies suggesting they might. This is because many of the existing studies on this topic are of low quality or are too small.
Herbal products are not always safe just because they are natural. Many herbal supplements such as weight loss 'gummies' or ‘fat-burning pills’ make false claims and most have limited or no consistent data to support long-term weight loss safely.
If you feel like you’ve exhausted your options, your doctor may recommend prescription weight loss tablets such as Xenical or Mysimba. Before taking these, your doctor will need to consider your medical conditions and any health problems you may have.
Xenical is a medicine used to treat obesity. Xenical is the brand name of the active ingredient, Orlistat. It works in your digestive system by changing the way your body absorbs fat.
It does this by attaching to the enzymes called ‘lipase’ in your digestive system. It blocks them from breaking down some of the fat you have eaten during your meal. So, about one-third of the fat in the food you eat is blocked from being digested. The undigested fat cannot be absorbed and is passed out with your stools.
This medication should be used in conjunction with a well-balanced diet and exercise.
Xenical is available on a prescription from your doctor however, you can buy it at a lower dose (60mg capsules) from a pharmacy. This is sold under the brand name ‘Alli’ and will need to be taken under medical supervision.
Mysimba contains two active ingredients, naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride.
It works on areas of the brain involved in the control of food intake and energy expenditure. It also reduces the effect of the part of the brain that controls the pleasure associated with eating food.
Mysimba changes your eating habits which results in appetite suppression. This means you feel less hungry less often, and you don’t need to eat as much food to feel full.
Mysimba is also prescribed together with a reduced-calorie diet and physical exercise.
Xenical® (Orlistat) is prescribed to aid weight loss in people with a BMI of 30 or more. It can also be used in people with a BMI of 28 or more if they have risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
Mysimba is approved for use in patients with a BMI of 30 or higher. Mysimba may also be used in people with a BMI between 27 to 30 if they have additional weight-related conditions such as those stated above.
Data from five 2-year studies Trusted source electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) Government Source UK Government Medicine Info Site Go to source demonstrated the effectiveness of taking Orlistat together with a low-calorie diet. In these studies 37% of patients taking Orlistat lost of at least 5% of their baseline body weight after 12 weeks of treatment. In comparison, only 19% of placebo patients managed to do the same.
Of these patients, 49% of those taking Orlistat went on to lose ≥10 % of their baseline body weight at one year compared to 40% of patients taking a placebo. The mean difference in weight loss with the drug compared to placebo was 3.2 kg.
Orlistat | Placebo | |
---|---|---|
Weight loss ≥5% | 37% | 19% |
Weight loss ≥10% | 49% | 40% |
The effects of Mysimba in reducing body weight have been shown in studies Trusted source European Medicines Agency (EMA) Government Source Medication Regulation and Research (EU) Go to source involving obese or overweight patients. In these studies, Mysimba was compared with a placebo (a treatment with no active medicine).
In three studies, the proportion of Mysimba-treated patients who achieved weight loss of at least 5% baseline body weight ranged from 28% to 42% compared with 12% to 14% with placebo.
About 13 to 22% of those taking Mysimba achieved at least a 10% reduction in weight, compared to 5 to 6% of placebo-treated patients.
Mysimba | Placebo | |
---|---|---|
Weight loss ≥5% | 28% to 42% | 12% to 14% |
Weight loss ≥10% | 13% to 22% | 5% to 6% |
If Xenical or Mysimba aren’t suitable for you, there are alternative options you can consider for weight loss. They contain different active ingredients, which will affect you in different ways. These include:
Semaglutide (also known as Wegovy) is an injectable prescription medicine that may help people who are overweight or obese lose weight and keep it off.
Wegovy works by suppressing your appetite, so you eat less. It does this by slowing down the movement of food in your gut so you feel fuller for longer.
Liraglutide (also called Saxenda) is another prescription weight loss injection. Saxenda works like a GLP-1 agonist and similarly to Wegovy, it reduces your appetite, so you eat fewer calories and lose weight.
Slimming pills may not be for everyone. As with any medication, your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking these pills.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
They are very effective for weight loss when combined with dietary changes and exercise. | They may not be suitable for everyone. You must meet certain criteria for these to be prescribed. |
They may have positive effects on blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. | Some medications may be expensive to purchase. |
They are accessible online with a doctor’s consultation. Some dosages may be available from pharmacists. | These medications can cause side effects. |
You can buy prescription weight loss pills such as Xenical and Mysimba, as well as other prescription weight loss treatments, online here at euroClinix. To order this, you must complete an online consultation, which will be reviewed by one of our registered doctors. If you meet the criteria required for weight loss treatment, a prescription will be sent to our pharmacy. Your medication will be dispatched to your address.
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