Over the years researchers have sought that magic pill that will help people lose weight. Most of these drugs have been in the amphetamine class and were extremely addictive. They also put people at risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
Since the days of Dexadrine and Phentermine, many new combinations and classes of drugs have been researched, and some have become popular for the treatment of obesity.
The risks of obesity are often weighed against the risks inherent when you introduce a drug to control appetitite or metabolism. However, in many cases, the obese person has underlying risk factors that make drugs with stimulant properties inherently dangerous. Even herbal supplements such as Ephedra have come under fire and access had been limited due to stories of sudden strokes and heart attacks among users.