Pharmacological approaches to treating the obese patient.

It should be obvious from the foregoing discussion that, at the present time, there is not an acceptably safe and effective pharmacological treatment for obesity. This patent inadequacy of present drug regimens has spawned the investigation into the diverse pharmacological approaches reviewed in this paper as well as investigation into the intestinal bypass operation (see Chapter 10). We feel that the eventual, safe and effective therapy for obesity will come from the pharmacological realm. Glucose-blocking drugs, growth hormone analogues, and hydroxycitrate are but three of the potentially safe and effective approaches to the problem for the future. It will be truly fascinating to watch the development in the treatment of obesity and, specifically, the pharmacological treatment for this problem over the next five to ten years.