It was discovered that reduced appetite and weight loss were among the prominent adverse events in these patients.
Obesity is a major health problem in all developed countries.
A 1998 National Institutes of Health report confirmed that obesity significantly increases a number of health risks, including Type II diabetes. Type II diabetes is estimated to affect more than 15 million people in the United States, with 80 to 90 percent of these people having obesity as a contributing factor to their diabetes. Obesity-related conditions such as stroke and myocardial infarct are estimated to contribute to 300,000 deaths yearly, ranking second only to smoking as a cause of preventable death. Current treatment of obesity consists of diet, exercise and other life-style changes, and a limited number of drugs. The fact that the population overall is rapidly becoming more obese testifies to the fact that treatment of obesity is difficult and characterized by very high recidivism.