A revolutionary new drug which helps people lose weight has been launched in the UK.
It causes weight loss by blocking the brain's craving signals, suppressing the appetite.
It is the first drug of its kind because as well as aiding weight loss, it also regulates diabetes and manages cholesterol.
The drug, called Acomplia, is made by the French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi-Aventis, and has been used successfully in clinical trials.
The results revealed patients who took the drug lost weight and their waistlines shrank.
Professor John Betteridge, a leader in the field of medicine who reviewed the clinical trials, said the results were "fascinating".
He said:
"This is a useful new medicine to help overweight people at risk of heart attacks. After a year, people on the trial had lost up to eight kilograms. It is particularly effective at reducing weight around the waist.
"For overweight people, it is important to change lifestyle first but for some that doesn't work so this new medicine will help them." 
A tablet must be taken every morning before breakfast but for the best results, doctors also recommend patients follow a reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly.
The pills are available from today on prescription from GPs and privately after being given the EU seal of approval. However, GPs will only prescribe it to obese people with other risk factors such as diabetes.
A spokeswoman for Sanofi-Aventis said:
"We believe the right patient for Acomplia is overweight with type two diabetes or low levels of good cholesterol (HDL) or high levels of bad blood fats.
"It will benefit these people the most because it will also provide improvement above and beyond weight loss alone."
Source: The Sun Online
