The US healthcare system spends over $150 billion annually on obesity, yet only a small fraction of that amount goes to drugs approved to treat obesity. While over 33% of Americans are obese, sales of anti-obesity drugs totaled only around $114 million. Experts believe one reason drug sales remain low is the misconception that extreme dieting alone can treat obesity, but dieting has limitations and is not enough without medical treatment. However, approved drugs for treating obesity also have side effects like mood changes, sleep problems, tiredness, nausea, and risks for those with heart conditions or who are pregnant.

1. CURRENT HEALTHCARE NEWS September
18, 2014
The US health care system spends over 150 billion dollars annually on obesity
alone, and yet just a fragment of that amount goes to medicine and drugs that
are approved to cure obesity. Taking in the fact that more than 33% of the
americans are obese, this seems confusing as to what factors are holding the
production of these medicines. As a matter of fact, the 150 billion dollar figure
was mentioned in 2009 which was 5 years ago. So the numbers may be well
above 150 billion dollars and yet the sales anti obesity drugs totalled around a
mere 114 million dollars.So In the Latest Healthcare News clearly said that why
is that the sales of drugs meant to treat diabetes, the type one of which is linked
to obesity, amounts to around 22 billion but even the newcomers like Belviq and
Qsymia, whose sales are rapidly increasing, cannot even be close to the 1 billion
mark? Well, according to experts, the one reason behind it lies largely on the
rumour that going on an extreme diet solves this issue. While it does help, it has
its limitations, and they alone are not enough to treat obesity.
Other factors aside, the drugs themselves, despite being effective, have some
side effects associated which people complained of. One particular lady stated
that the drug was really effective and helped her a lot but it gave her a negative
mood and she was having sleep problems as she was having fragmented sleep.
Accompanied with that are the other side effects which include tiredness of the
body, drowsiness, nausea, and seizures and fevers to those with heart failure.
Pregnant women should especially avoid these as well due to another host of
complications associated by taking these pills.