Several exercise activities are recommended, both indoor and outdoor, so patients can have some variety and can have alternatives during inclement weather. Dieticians may work with people trying to control their weight to help alter their behavior regarding food and eating in terms of where, why and how they eat. Behavior modification based on the Johnson and Stalonas system was incorporated into our study. Physicians and nutritionists may want to emphasize issues including eating in social situations, portion size, awareness of bingeing, eating breakfast and eating slowly. Support groups were helpful to the participants in our study.
Physicians can start patients at lower doses and then increase the doses as necessary.
They can taper the doses and restart them months or years later, if necessary. The reason for giving lower doses of these two drugs is to minimize side effects. The most common side effect was dry mouth, which in some cases lasted for several months, but the severity and number of complaints decreased after that. A few people complained of irregular or fast heart rate, but these effects also subsided. Overall, most side effects decreased after four weeks, and not all participants taking the medications experienced side effects.