[Drug treatment of obesity].

Anorectic agents constitute the most widely used supportive drug treatment in obesity as well as that most often prescribed. A large number of substances have been proposed for this purpose, and some have been found to be reasonably effective, while others exhibiting side effects which forbid their use, as thyroid hormones and diuretic agents. There are other substances with properties that might justify their use, such as ballast preparations, some antidepressive agents, and a few compounds acting principally on the gastrointestinal tract. Of current interest are substances furthering thermogenesis, but for the time being these remain in the realm of pure research. The anorectic agents usually available bring about a weight loss of about 0.5 lb (0.230 kg) per week more than prescription of a placebo, though only over a limited period of time. Once the drug is discontinued, weight regain is the rule and it appears even that association of an anorectic agent to behavioural therapy might have an unfavourable effect on maintenance of the weight loss. Their use is therefore difficult to justify except in the rare cases where a short-term reduction in weight is desired or in patients suffering from an illness linked to their overweight. Differences in eating habits observed with amphetamines compared with fenfluramine and its dextrorotatory isomer dexfenfluramine suggest that these compounds could play a supportive role in the management of obese patients along with the dietetic training and changes in eating habits which are still fundamental to the medical treatment of obesity.