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For the past 20 years, as Americans steadily gained weight, experts have searched for ways to reverse the trend. The reasons we gain and lose are complicated, they've learned, and involve more than just diet and exercise.
Drugs can help, of course. Two are currently approved for long-term use: Meridia works in the brain to suppress appetite; Xenical blocks the absorption of fat -- with unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects for some. And there's surgery, which is increasingly done laparoscopically but still has risks. We're all hoping, though, for a magic bullet. Biotech and pharma companies are spending millions to develop more powerful pills, gadgets and procedures to put an end to the condition that can trigger a host of serious diseases -- obesity.This quest isn't easy. "We're finding that many behaviors we don't think of as genetic often have a genetic basis," says Susan Yanovski, MD, an obesity expert at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "Some people get hungrier sooner than others; some fill up less quickly." Some binge; others are emotional eaters. And as more research is done, specific treatments may be discovered to deal with the various causes of obesity.
"The future is really bright for the development of better, safer and effective drugs," says Dr. Yanovski. "We're going to have more choices to treat obesity. And they'll be more specific, so you can target the medication to the patient, as we do in the treatment of high blood pressure." Here, some of the most exciting advances.
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