The pill has been deemed dangerous by many, but for some, it may be their only hope for successful weight loss.  Many drugs such as Fenfluramine, Redux and Fen-phen have been withdrawn from the market due to cardiac complications and hemorrhagic strokes.  There are, however, drugs that have less severe side effects. 

When prescribed and used under the advice of a physician, the benefit for the morbidly obese supercedes the risk.  Morbidly obese patients run the risk of type II diabetes, metabolic disorder, and many other health problems. 

The pill is only prescribed after a patient has made a reasonable effort at other methods and failed.  At that point, if the patient has a BMI of 27 or higher, a physician may prescribe a pill.  Even after the drug is prescribed, the patient must adhere to a healthy diet and exercise program for the drug to be truly effective.  There are three different pills available.

Xenical (orlistat) is a pill that has minimal risk because it is not absorbed in the body.  Rather, it is a fat blocker and works by preventing fat from being absorbed in the GI tract.  Because of this, however, many patients report uncomfortable side effects such as gas, and even decreased control of bowel movements that are oily and fatty in nature.  The solution

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