Plastic surgery blog: Obesity drug not likely to be approved

The obesity epidemic has prompted the pharmaceutical companies to search for obesity drugs that would help consumers lose weight. According to a recent Los Angeles Times article one of the most promising obesity drugs to come along in a long time appears to destroy bone. Research published this week shows the hormone, called fibroblast growth factor 21, causes bone loss while it burns fat. This is a huge setback and disappointment. For many researchers this drug was able to burn fat better than previous drugs in development. Two studies, one published last week in the journal Cell, and another published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used mice to examine the effects of FGF21. Over a two-week period, mice that were fed the compound lost 78% of their spongy bone. Mice bred to lack the hormone completely had large gains in bone mass. The goal will be to find in obesity drug without harmful side effects. So far, this has eluded researchers. When an obesity drug is found people who benefit from it are likely to have the same drawbacks and their appearance as people who lose weight from other sources. It is likely that many patients will seek post massive weight loss plastic surgery. Dr. Kim explains to patients who have lost large amounts of weight that plastic surgery is an excellent option for removing skin and achieving a better appearance. Most patients can benefit from procedures including abdominoplasty and breast lift. Patients should understand that Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon who is skilled in not only achieving the best possible aesthetic results but also in providing the safest options available.