The Best Antidepressant for Weight Loss

If you are overweight and have not had success with your weight-loss program, your doctor may recommend that you consider taking the antidepressant Wellbutrin. Wellbutrin SR and Zyban (bupropion) have been shown to not only treat depression and help people stop smoking, but they can also help obese people lose weight.

Proof of Effectiveness

Studies done since 2001 have shown that a sustained-release formulation of the antidepressant bupropion hydrochloride has been effective in helping obese patients lose a significant amount of weight. Bupropion use helped participants lose weight when used in conjunction with a restricted diet and increased exercise.

Study at the University of Kentucky

A study of more than 300 participants, conducted by Professor James W. Anderson of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, compared the weight changes in obese men and women receiving bupropion SR at 300 milligrams a day and 400 milligrams a day to those who received a placebo (sugar pill). Those who received the bupropion SR lost more weight than those who took the placebo. More weight was lost for those who took the higher dosage of bupropion (400 milligrams) than those taking the 300 milligram dosage.

Continued Success

After the initial study of 24 weeks, researchers continued watching participants for another 48 weeks and discovered that they were able to maintain their weight loss over this additional period of time while taking the same dosages of bupropion. Again, participants lost more weight on the higher dosage of bupropion.

Exercise and Reduction in Calories

All participants in the study exercised moderately and reduced their intake of food by 600 calories a day. So a pill alone does not seem to be the answer. They also used a daily diary to record how much they ate and exercised. Some participants did experience side effects from the bupropion SR, such as headaches, diarrhea and dry mouth.

Study at Duke University

Another study in 2001 at Duke University observed 50 obese women who took bupropion for weight loss. Participants began taking either a placebo or up to 200 milligrams a day of bupropion twice daily. Again, these people reduced their daily intake of calories to 1,600 a day and recorded what they ate in food diaries. The study went on for 24 weeks and participants were monitored for a total of two years. Once again, as in the study at the University of Kentucky, the Duke study showed that those taking bupropion achieved a greater weight loss than those taking the placebo.