Obesity is a world-wide epidemic associated with significant morbidity and 
mortality which costs billions of dollars per year. The associated related 
conditions are many and include heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes 
mellitus, sleep apnea and certain types of cancer. Given that it is a 
multifactorial problem, the treatments must also address the numerous causes 
associated with the development of obesity. The neurohormonal regulation of 
feeding and energy is a complex system often necessitating modification through 
more than 1 pathway to achieve weight loss. Therefore, in addition to lifestyle 
changes, attenuation of caloric intake and increase in caloric expenditure, 
pharmacotherapies, including combination medications, may prove beneficial in 
its treatment. Adding to the current available pharmacotherapies for obesity, 
the Food and Drug Administration has recently approved 2 new combination 
medications known as lorcaserin (Belviq) and phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia). As 
with these and other medications used for weight loss, clinical cautions, side 
effects, precise review of patients' medical history and selecting the 
appropriate medication are imperative. Additionally, close follow-up is 
necessary in patients undergoing treatment for weight loss. As weight loss 
progresses, patients who are currently undergoing concomitant treatment for 
comorbid diabetes and hypertension need to be monitored for appropriate changes 
in medications used to treat those conditions. Weight loss is often accompanied 
by improvement in blood pressure and glucose levels and therefore resting blood 
pressure and fasting and/or postprandial plasma glucose levels should be 
monitored at follow-up. Although unique to each individual, the benefits of 
weight loss are substantial and can improve well-being and physical health.