A new study conducted by the Endocrine Society has found that overweight and obese individuals reported an average weight reduction of 10.6% more than 3 to 5 years with a program of lifestyle change in combination with anti-obesity medicines.

According to analysts who presented these findings at the Society's annual meeting in Atlanta, weight reduction of more than 10% paves way for a host of medical advantages.

Lead researcher Michael A. Weintraub who is the M.D. of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York said, "Data on the effectiveness of anti-obesity medications for long-term weight loss maintenance in the real world has been limited to 1 to 2 years. Our study is unique because we analysed weight loss maintenance over 3-5 years in more than 400 adults with overweight and obesity who were taking weight-loss medications."

The study examined data of 428 patients at an established weight management centre in the US. All patients were counselled, focussing on a low-glycemic diet and exercise by the obesity medicine expert during their office visits. Patients were likewise offered additional counselling with an enlisted nutritionist.

Clinical treatment included FDA-endorsed and off-label weight-loss medications. The most well-known drugs used were metformin, phentermine and topiramate. At the last visit, patients were taking an average of two medicines for weight management.

The patients were followed for almost 4.7 years on average. During this period, they lost and maintained an average weight loss of 10.6%, which was maintained with medical therapy and lifestyle interventions over 3 to 5 years.

Speaking on this, Michael A. Weintraub said, "A 10% weight loss is clinically significant because it is associated with improvements in cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obstructive sleep apnea as well as improvements in mobility and overall quality of life."

He added, "Anti-obesity medications are an underutilised treatment option for obesity and can prevent obesity-related diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This research supports the utility of anti-obesity medications in achieving long-term weight loss maintenance."