摘要
近年來，隨著物質文明快速發展，肥胖也快速成為全球性的流行病。伴隨著肥胖的疾病如高血壓、高血脂、糖尿病、心臟病、腦中風、關節炎、膽結石甚至癌症等，已為個人、家庭及社會帶來沉重的負擔。預防及治療肥胖是早期防範上述疾病的基礎。肥胖令治療原則上以非藥物治療開始，若無法改善才考慮藥物或手術治療。然而傳統的非藥物治療，如飲食控制、運動及改善生活型態等，也經常無法持之以恆，成效打折扣，因此適時的使用抗肥胖藥物可以加強非藥物治療之成效並強化病人對於治療之信心。美國食品藥物管理局數年前核可了sibutramine及orlistat兩種減肥藥，而rimonabant在今年也核可上市。這三種抗肥胖藥物雖然其作用機轉各有不同，根據目前的實證研究顯示，除了減重的效果之外，對於血脂肪、血糖及胰島素濃度和阻抗性都有正面的影響。其他還有許多抗肥胖藥物也正在研究發展中。
並列摘要
As the development of civilization, worldwide prevalence rates of obesity are rising and become a big social problem. Obesity-related disorders such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, gallstone and even cancer had been emerging to be heavy burden for individual, family and society. Prevention and treatment of obesity are essential for the prevention of these associated disorders. The treatment of obesity will be initiated from non-pharmacological therapy. Pharmacological therapy has recently much well developed. Pharmacotherapy may have synergistic effect on the weight reduction of non-pharmacological interventions. The anti-obesity agents including sibutramine, orlistat, and rimonabant were approved by FDA. The evidence-based studies show that these agents have the effects on improving lipid profile and insulin resistance in addition to weight reduction. However, long-term studies with morbidity and mortality as clinical endpoint are also expected. Many additional anti-obesity agents, some of which seem promising, are currently on developing.