With so many new weight loss pills on the market today, how do you make sense of a confusing world of fast weight loss promises and exaggerated marketing claims? Maybe you do not have to, because new weight loss pills do not just comes from supplement companies.

People who want to lose a lot of weight are slowly discovering a “secret” world of new weight loss pills. Only in this case, a quick path to shedding impressive amounts of weight does not come from weight loss supplements.

That is because these so-called new weight loss pills are not pills at all. As it turns out, they are prescription drugs that are not even approved by FDA for weight-loss purposes, and there is no secret about it, because doctors prescribe these drugs.

In a medical community this practice is know as “off-label” prescription. According to The Wall Street Journal, the list of drugs prescribed for weight loss purposes includes medication for attention-deficit disorder, depression, epilepsy, diabetes, smoking, and other medical conditions.

Some people do not even bother visiting a doctor, because these drugs are available on the Internet. According to the article, some doctors tell their patients “that they will be on these drugs for life“, and that “the benefits far outweigh the side effects“.

With statements like that, I do not expect pharmaceutical companies to start complaining about these doctors any time soon. However, they do warn against using these drugs for weight loss.

While some people lost weight without serious side effects, others, were not that lucky. They experienced hair loss, some memory loss, and other adverse reactions.

All of this is understandable. The doctors feel pretty good, because they help people who struggle with their weight. People with significant weight loss seem to be happy. They took a pill, and lost a lot of weight without dieting or exercise.

What I cannot seem to understand is FDA’s position in this situation. It is a good thing that they put a lot of attention on inappropriate use of weight loss supplements. Should prescription drugs be treated differently?