"Many physicians have been hesitant to prescribe medication for weight loss since the fen/phen fiasco in the 1990's.  However, more than 60,000 research articles have been published since that time, many of which attest to the safety of medicine to treat obesity," said Dr. Bryman. Based on this research, the ASBP believes that diet and exercise alone rarely work for treatment in overweight and obese patients. This is evidenced by the exponential growth of the obesity epidemic in Kansas.

The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts was presented with a document recently produced by ASBP called "Overweight and Obesity Evaluation and Management." According to Dr. Bryman, this document is a well-researched paper that truly reflects the most effective treatment and management of overweight and obese patients.

ASBP agreed with most of the current rules governing physicians' multifaceted treatment of obesity in the state of Kansas. Medication must be prescribed carefully to select patients in conjunction with a healthy diet, behavior modification, exercise, and in some extreme cases surgical intervention.  

Dr. Bryman stated that he has enormous respect for the members of the Kansas Medical Board as they have a daunting task of balancing public safety while not being too restrictive on rules that prohibit physicians from effectively treating the obesity epidemic. The ASBP believes the proposed rule changes would allow the physician to treat patients more effectively without the fear of compromising safety concerns.

SOURCE The American Society of Bariatric Physicians