The National Obesity Forum (NOF) remains convinced that the use of anti-obesity medication, in line with NICE guidance, is justified in serious medical condition.

While a 5% weight loss may seem to be quite modest it does bring disproportionate benefits in terms of the reduction in cardio metabolic risk factors.
 
For instance, in both the Finnish and American Diabetes Prevention Programmes the 5% weight loss prevented conversion to frank type 2 diabetes in 58% of cases.
 
Many studies have shown that the three currently available drugs cause significantly greater weight loss than placebo.  Any assessment of effectiveness most go beond levels of weight loss and consider the reduction of obesity related risk factors.  All three currently available drugs favourably influences most risk factors.
 
The NOF agrees that long term outcomes studies are needed, but point out these will take many years yield the necessary information.  At present we have to deal with the obesity epidemic using current knowledge.
 
While the NOF's preferred position is prevention, it has to point out the despite clear warnings dating back to the 1976 when (obesity levels 6% in men and 7% in women) successive governments have lacked the political will and courage to take effective preventive measures.
 
The result is that in this country about a quarter of the population is obese and is at high risk of many of the major killers in modern society, coronary heart disease type 2 diabetes and many cancers.
 
In the absence of an effective preventive strategy this means that health professionals are left with life style advice and anti-obesity medication as the only means of helping vulnerable people at high risk of life threatening diseases.
 
The NOF therefore reiterates its belief that the appropriate use of anti-obesity medication is both cost effective and fully justified on clinical grounds.
 
Dr Colin Waine
Chairman - National Obesity Forum