Osymia, the Latest + Greatest Weight-Loss Pill, is Now on the Market [POLL]

The latest and greatest weight loss pill has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is available today by prescription. The diet drug is Qsymia, and it has shown to help patients lose around 10% of their body weight.

Osymia is the FDA's latest attempt to give patients  more tools to fight excessive weight gain. It has been 13 years since the FDA has voted to approve a weight-loss drug of any kind.

This new weight loss pill is actually a combination of two medications that have long been used in weight management. One is an appetite suppressant and the other reduces cravings for food. Osymia has been approved for female patients in their child-bearing years.

Here is what Dr. Louis Aronne of New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center  had to say about the drug:

This is a medication that studies show is one of the most effective medicines we've ever seen for controlling weight."

One-third of Americans are obese, and because of that they suffer from all kinds of chronic and expensive medical conditions. Many have heart disease, diabetes and even arthritis.

But losing weight is not all about popping a pill. The drug has to be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. But as I found out, that doesn't always mean the drug has no risks.

If you'll remember back in the '90's when another combination of drugs called fen-phen, (fenfluramine and phentermine) was on the market --  that didn't work out so well. It showed problems with people's heart valves, fatal lung disease and PPH.

I was actually one of the people who took the drug from 1996 to late 1997. I thought since I was under a doctor's care, that I would be fine. I had to visit the doctor every two weeks, have blood drawn, follow a healthy diet, the whole bit. But when the drugs were taken off the market, I found out that one of my heart valves had been affected.

There are some doctors who have concern over the potential for side effects, particularly in light of the history of diet drugs, such as fen-phen, approved by the FDA.

I'm in no way suggesting that this drug will have the same side effects as fen-phen. I just wanted to make sure that if you were considering taking medication for weight-loss, that you know the risks so you could make best choice for you. Good luck!