Drug addiction treatment 'good for weight loss'

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by Change | 30 Jul 2010

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Weight loss has been found to be a side effect of the combination of two anti-addiction drugs.

New research has shown that a combination of two treatments which are usually used in the rehabilitation of drug addicts could help people to lose weight.

The report, published in the Lancet journal, found that Naltrexone, which is normally given to heroin addicts, and bupropion, used to help smokers give up, could help stave off food cravings.

Scientists from the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre in Louisiana, which conducted the study, claimed that the drug combination can give better results than a healthy diet and exercise put together.

However, University College London obesity expert Professor Nick Finer, claimed that the loss is not as significant as it could be and that more research needs to be done before the treatment is recommended for use in clinics.

Study leader Professor Frank Greenway added that the weight loss may not seem like a lot (approximately 5 per cent) but it could make a large difference to people's health.

Speaking to the BBC, he explained: ""I think the weight loss we saw was significant even if it might not be as much as many people would like to see."

Neworleans.com recently reported that increasing numbers of people in an area of New Orleans are becoming addicted to Suboxone, a drug normally used to help those with serious addictions. 

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