Mixed Feelings About New FDA-Approved Diet Pill Qysimia

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A new study finds half of American adults will be obese by 2030 and according to the CDC, more than 35 percent of them already are.

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new prescription diet pill, but there's mixed feelings in the medical community about its effects.

Qysimia is the newest diet pill to hit the shelves in more than a decade and a new generation of anti-obesity drugs. It was approved for obese patients with a body mass index of at least 30, as well as people with a BMI greater than 27, and who also have high blood pressure and diabetes.

The diet pill is an appetite suppressant designed to make patients feel fuller after eating and is supposed to boost weight loss when used along with diet and exercise.

Stefanie Jones, a pharmacist for Grove Pharmacy, says side effects may include heart problems and birth defects.

It comes at a time when health professionals say obesity is threatening the health of Americans. They say people should speak with their doctors and any diet pill should be accompanied by a healthy diet and exercise.

"I think especially now with more popularity coming about with obesity and it being a problem in our society," says Jones. "I think the FDA and the physicians are wanting something that will help patients lose weight and maintain weight."

"You still have to make those healthy lifestyle choices," says Becky Holcomb, dietician for Mercy Hospital. "You still have to change your eating habits. You still have to exercise, but this is just a tool to help you succeed a little bit more."

Qysimia will only be available to doctors who have completed a training program. It will be sold through mail-order pharmacies only -- including CVS and Walgreens.