Psychological aspects of dietary weight loss and medication with the atypical beta agonist BRL 26830A in obese subjects.

Psychological aspects of dieting, including hunger and satiety sensations were explored in obese subjects during a placebo-controlled trial of the weight reducing potential of BRL 26830A, a thermogenic beta-3-agonist drug. Successful weight loss was associated with a reduction in the severity of reported depression. The initial degree of emotional disturbance and level of learned resourcefulness appeared to influence the subsequent weight lost. Subjects described few specific hunger and satiety sensations and these sensations did not generally alter during the trial. BRL 26830A, which promoted weight loss, did not significantly influence hunger and satiety sensations and was not associated with emotional disturbances during dieting. With BRL 26830A there was a reduction in the reported somatic symptoms of anxiety which was not apparent on placebo. These results suggest that the subjects' initial psychological state influences outcome when dieting and also that dynamic changes in psychological parameters occur with successful weight loss. Further, BRL 26830A had no effect on appetite and no adverse influence on the psychological functions tested during this study.