The only magical formula to get slim is combining diet and exercising. But in the case of the persons that are prone to obesity, drugs and natural products can help, as long as they are taken under the medical control, as most of them have secondary effects.

Orlistat is commercialized under the name of Xenical, and blocks an intestinal enzyme impeding the digestion of 32 % of the fats. But this is effective only in the case of diets rich in fats and fibers. Amongst one of its secondary effects is the fecal incontinence.

Sibutramine is traded under the name of Reductil in Europe and Meridia in the US and acts on the brain, inhibiting the hunger sensation. There have been great polemics about the influence this drug could have had in the death of 34 persons at the beginning of the 2000. The victims were from the US, Italy, UK, Switzerland, and South Africa. This drug was removed from the market in Italy.

Amongst its side effects are dry mouth, paradoxically increased appetite, nausea, strange taste in the mouth, anorgasmia and delayed ejaculation, upset stomach, constipation, trouble sleeping, dizziness, drowsiness, menstrual cramps/pain, headache, flushing, or joint/muscle pain.

The plant products for slimming base their fame on data not so scientific. This way, the draining remedies stimulate the urine production, but they do not eliminate the fat. And the effect of the chitosan, a polymer found in the shell of the crustaceans (shrimps, crabs, lobsters) has not been proved.

Animal tests revealed that type 2 Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, initially checked for its effect of stimulating female libido (sex drive) has also been found to decrease interest in food, besides typical mating behavior, by a third.

This could be the first "lifestyle drug" that works on both the sex drive and the appetite.

A recent survey showed that obesity pill boost suicidal thoughts or actions. The drug rimonabant is commercialized as Zimulti in the US and in 18 countries under the name of Acomplia. This drug was found to double depression level on patients.

Rimonabant stops the brain's food craving signals by silencing brain receptors linked to intense hunger, the same ones turned on by cannabis smoking.

Xenical and Meridia were found to induce even higher rates of depression.