Prozac: A Weight-Loss Drug?

July 12, 2004 -- There's no question that losing weight is one of the best ways for people with type 2 diabetes to manage their disease. The question is, how much weight can be shed by obese people with type 2 diabetes with the aid of FDA-approved weight-loss drugs such as Xenical and Meridia?

The answer: Less than if they had taken Prozac for the same amount of time, according to a new study.

After reviewing previously published studies involving more than 2,000 obese people with type 2 diabetes, researchers report that those taking Prozac lost twice as much weight as patients taking Xenical for one year -- nearly 13 pounds compared with Xenical's 6 pound weight loss.

The popular antidepressant also may have edged out Meridia, producing an average weight loss of slightly more than 11 pounds in patients taking Prozac for 24 to 30 weeks, compared with less than 10 pounds shed after 26 weeks by those using Meridia.

No Magic Bullet

"We showed fairly modest effects with all these drugs," lead researcher Susan L. Norris, MD, MPH, of the CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation, tells WebMD. "While we were hoping for some magic bullet, clearly these drugs are not that."

Instead, her review of studies previously done on how these medications can help obese diabetic patients lose weight confirms what researchers have long suspected: They have their place in the management of obesity in type 2 diabetes, but don't expect drastic improvement.

Still, the weight loss experienced by those taking each of the three drugs is enough to improve control of type 2 diabetes.

"A 10-pound weight loss from medications will improve glycemic control and will have positive effects on lipids and blood pressure if it's sustained for the longer term," says Norris. "A 10-pound weight loss in someone who is obese and has diabetes is clinically significant."