The chemical action of some medications may have side effects of increasing or decreasing body weight. The body handles nutrients through nutrient partitioning by storing nutrients, using nutrients to convert food to chemical components, releasing the heat created from biochemical processes, or excreting. Energy taken into the body through foods and beverages must go through the digestion process. Carbohydrates provide the sugars that create energy in the body, proteins are broken down to individual amino acids for the building of muscle, fats are the primary long-term energy source and are stored largely unchanged in adipose tissue.

Nutrient partitioning can be affected by metabolic changes, blocking or inducing storage, and increasing or decreasing excretion. Medications may have unintentional side effects of increasing metabolism, stimulating the thyroid, or working directly in the digestive tract. Medications that can affect nutrient partitioning include corticosteroids, lithium, tranquilizers, phenothiazines, some antidepressants, and medicines that increase fluid retention. Side effects for prescription medications taken for other illnesses may reduce or increase weight and interfere with the absorption or excretion of nutrients.

Adrenocorticosteroids used for the treatment of inflammatory and immunologic disorders affect carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. Even within therapeutic dosage, adverse effects include fluid imbalance, increased glycogen production, and stimulation of insulin release resulting in increasing fat deposits.

Anabolic steroids are used medically for androgen replacement in males, to reverse protein loss due to severe illness or trauma, and to treat aging and as a growth stimulant. Circulating testosterone in the body is reduced in obese individuals. The abuse of anabolic steroids in sports to "bulk up" to create large muscles may be due to fluid retention in the muscles.

- Clonidine is used to treat hypertension by inhibiting function of the sympathetic nervous system stimulates alpha adrenoreceptors in the arterioles.

- Phenothiazine drugs are used to treat serious mental and emotional disorders. As a group, they may cause loss of appetite, fever, or low body temperature in addition to retention of urine.

- Lithium is used for mood stabilizing for bipolar affective disorder. The mode of action is not definitive although it affects electrolytes, neurotransmitters, and converts inositol monophosphate to inositol. Lithium may cause weight gain through fluid retention or through another undefined mechanism.

- Estrogens is used for hormone replacement, as part of contraception, or to suppress ovulation may cause weight gain by increasing triglyceride levels and altering carbohydrate metabolism in addition to fluid retention.

- Indomethacin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory used in specific cases of acute gouty arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, pericarditis, and pleurisy.

- Methyldopa is used to treat hypertension by inhibiting function of the sympathetic nervous system stimulates central alpha adrenoreceptors.

Medications prescribed for obesity are most commonly appetite suppressants and work by affecting the satiety centers of the brain and resulting in less food being consumed. Unique in action, orlistat is a prescription medication to treat obesity by blocking intestinal action of gastric and pancreatic lipases, the enzymes to break down and absorb fats. The result is a decrease in absorption of ingested fat by approximately 30 percent. In doing so, it may increase excretion of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Many dietary supplements purport to cause weight loss and include information that appears to boost metabolism and indicate ingredients have been scientifically studied. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the labeling of dietary supplements and suggests watching for potentially fraudulent claims including cures, scientific-sounding terms fat-burning or energizing should be substantiated with scientific evidence, treatments for many symptoms and testimonials or claims the medical community is suppressing product benefits.

Studies of beta-agonists show some modification of body fat content and body weight in the absence of nutritional reduction although side effects make them unsuitable as medications. Future research will provide better understanding with the relationship of medication on energy metabolism. In addition, genetic studies to isolate genes for obesity make the potential for identifying receptors and compounds to bind to those receptors may increase the medications available specific to nutrient partitioning and weight modification.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Obesity at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Obesity and other relevant topics.