Dear Dr. Roach: In a recent column, you answered a question regarding weight loss. You stated that you do not recommend weight-loss drugs unless the person is very overweight or has medical complications. I'm curious to know your reasoning behind this. Can you please elaborate on your answer?

— J.S.

Dear J.S.: In my opinion, being overweight is not a medical diagnosis and does not have a large effect on a person's quality or length of life. So, I do not recommend weight-loss medications for people who are overweight.

Being obese puts a person at a much higher risk of medical complications such as sleep apnea, arthritis, high blood pressure and diabetes. When a person does have a medical complication associated with being obese, then a weight-loss drug can be considered.

I still don't

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