Pharmaceutical Treatment

It is not our purpose to list the many and varied products available to further weight reduction. They may be classified into broad groups, notably: drugs that reduce appetite; drugs that promote a feeling of well-being; tranquilizers and sedatives; stimulants to metabolism (body chemistry); bulky foods to satisfy hunger; cathartics; and drugs to eliminate excess fluids.

Agents that reduce food intake sometimes are prescribed at the outset or, in stubborn cases, as short-term aids to dietary treatment providing they do not interfere with taking necessary foods. Beyond their specific actions, these drugs admittedly meet the frequent need for a "gimmick," the element of magic for which the wavering will power inevitably reaches out. However, they also serve as a crutch, detracting and diverting from the essential emphasis on dietary regulation. At best, they appear to afford only initial temporary help. They merely postpone the day when facts must be faced.

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