HEALTH

Weight-loss drugs have been notoriously risky, causing serious health conditions and even death. Nowadays, though, with nearly two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, the FDA seems to have decided that the risk presented by drugs like Belviq are dwarfed by the need of society as a whole to drop weight.

Belviq has been rejected before because of potential cancer risks. The company producing it, Arena, will still have to conduct a handful of studies to assess the risk of heart attack or stroke with long-term use. As of now, the drug is restricted to adults who are either obese or who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health problem, like type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.

While many are still concerned about the health risks presented by drugs like Belviq and similar medications that will likely be approved in the coming months, many are hopeful that they just might turn the tide in America’s obesity epidemic.

by Brittany Taylor | 2/1/2016