Amphetamines (marketed as Benzedrine) became popular for weight loss during the late 1930s. They worked primarily by suppressing appetite, and had other beneficial effects such as increased alertness.
In the early 1970s, fenfluramine was developed to treat obesity, but it only achieved minor results, and patients complained of nausea, anxiety, and other uncomfortable side effects.
Fenfluramine as a single drug was first introduced in the 1970s, but was not popular because it only temporarily reduced weight. A 1984 study found a weight loss of 7.5 kg on average in 24 weeks, as compared to 4.4 kg under placebo.
Obetrol was the brand name of a drug combining several amphetamine salts indicated for the treatment of exogenous obesity. It was originally sold by the American company Obetrol Pharmaceuticals. Obetrol was a popular diet pill in America in the 1950s and 1960s.
In the 1990s, another untested weight loss cocktail known as “fen-phen” started taking off. This cocktail mixed the psychiatric drug fenfluramine, which boosts levels of the brain chemical serotonin and induces feelings of satiety, with the appetite suppressant phentermine.
Amphetamines (marketed as Benzedrine) became popular for weight loss during the late 1930s. They worked primarily by suppressing appetite, and had other beneficial effects such as increased alertness.
Liraglutide (Saxenda) Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia) Semaglutide (Wegovy)
Finally, in the late 1930s, DNP was banned for sale as a diet pill in the United States (though it took until 2003 for the UK to do the same under General Food Laws).
Some of the more outlandish diet plans in the 19th century included swallowing tape worm larvae, drinking doses of arsenic poison, wearing rubberized corsets and underwear, and drinking vinegar to kill the appetite.
Meridia (sibutramine) was approved by the FDA in 1997 and then withdrawn from the market in 2010 because of side effects that included an increased risk of heart attack.
Weight loss medicines that are available in Australia include orlistat, phentermine and liraglutide. These medicines have been shown to help achieve and maintain weight loss when used in combination with lifestyle change.
The story so far: The dramatic weight loss of Kim and Khloe Kardashian and other celebrities has been rumoured to be the work of an injectable drug, Ozempic, that's been called 'Hollywood's worst kept secret'.
Since Ozempic is expensive and can be difficult to obtain, it appears some consumers have instead turned to berberine. On TikTok, videos about the supplement have generated more than 92m views.
DNP emerges as a weight-loss drug
DNP was first used on an industrial scale in French munitions factories during the first world war when it was mixed with picric acid to make explosives.
FRANKFURT, July 29 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk has launched blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in Germany, its first big European market, hoping Germans will pay hundreds of euros out of pocket for a drug that public health insurance plans are so far barred from covering.
Sold under the names Meridia, Reductil, and Sibutrex, sibutramine is an appetite suppressant and was effective in helping people lose weight. The side effects, however, were unacceptable. This drug was connected to increased risk for stroke and heart attack and was banned by the FDA in 2010.
The typical 1950s American woman – diet and exercise
Sure, there are other factors than can influence one's weight but for the purposes of this discussion, the average American woman in the 1950s was slimmer because she ate less and burned more calories in her daily activities.
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, some wealthy people commissioned regimens to help them lose weight: physician Conrad Heingarter's recommendations for Jean de la Goutte (c1430) included eating and drinking less, sleeping on his back (to prevent stagnation of the humours, which would turn into fat), and using ...
People were around 2 inches shorter in the 19th century than they are now which would mean women in Victorian England were typically around 5 ft 2. Queen Victoria was about 4 ft 10 and she was considered quite short at the time.
The banned ingredients listed included ephedra, DMAA, BMPEA, and 4-amino-2-methylpentane citrate. At least 1 discouraged-use ingredient was found in 46 (90%) of the weight loss supplement products (Table 3).
Safety Announcement. [10-8-2010] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending against continued prescribing and use of Meridia (sibutramine) because this drug may pose unnecessary cardiovascular risks to patients.
PhenQ — Overall Best Fat Burner, Editor's Choice. PhenQ is a well-known brand of fat burners, whose product is highly potent for belly fat that won't go away. Most products focus on specific areas of weight loss, such as belly fat, but the components of PhenQ are meant to reduce overall fat while keeping you energized.
Based on data reported in clinical studies, Qsymia is likely the most effective prescription weight loss pill. It tends to lead to the largest amount of weight loss in the highest percentage of people.
Before it was known for its toxicity, DES was heralded as "the wonder drug" for women. In 1938, biochemists at the University of Oxford first synthesized diethylstilbestrol, a nonsteroidal estrogen that became commonly referred to as DES.