Why will drs. prescribe meds. for all the side effects from obesity but will not prescribe meds. for obesity?

Because a pill is NOT going to "fix" the obesity. YOU have to change your lifestyle. The side effects from something like Xenical are horrible. Probably ALL of your side effects from your obesity would go away if you lost the weight. But no pills. Stop eating so much. Get out and walk everyday. Maybe if the doctor saw that you were committed to losing the weight (by seeing your weight drop through diet and exercise) he would be more willing to give you something to help you. But you have to start on your own. Source(s): drug researcher

Because obesity is rarely a problem that the patient cannot control themself. The doctor's job is to keep your blood pressure down, not make you look better.
How many people with "real" diseases like MS or the like would balk if told all they had to do to cure themselves was eat better and less, and get some exercise? Obesity is rarely a disease.. it is usually merely a weakness.
It would be lovely if prescribing were 1% as simple as people imagine. Every prescription takes a careful analysis of risks and benefits, and the drugs used to aid in weight loss have lots of risks and no long-term benefits. None has yet been shown to help a person get off weight and keep it off.
There are no safe medicines for obesity and we do not want to do any harm.
No drug can fix a lifestyle related problem. We already have a cure for obesity: Healthy diet, exercise, and portion control for life.

There are a few medical exceptions that can contribute to obesity, but these are very rare, such as Cushing's Disease. These can also be treated.

Have you ever seen Super Size Me? It blew my mind. They interviewed a man who was an obese Type 2 diabetic, and was drinking 52 litres of soda every 2 weeks! He got worried and decided to go for gastric bypass surgery when he began to lose his vision. No idea why he couldn't simply diet and exercise without having his stomach bypassed. That is NOT the answer. Neither is a "miracle pill". There is no quick fix! The worst part was, his wife, also overweight and seeing her husband on his death bed due to lifestyle, said that she ONLY drinks ONE LITRE of soda a day! Um...hello!

People have got to start using their head.

How do you think the mother of a Type 1 diabetic (the rare severe non-preventable form of diabetes not related to diet or obesity) feels everytime she has to give her child an insulin injection, after seeing something like this!? This man literally gave himself a preventable version of this horrible disease, and she would give anything to cure her child.

P.S. Hey Cammie! I actually pointed out the exact disease you had as a possible reason for being obese. This is very rare however. Most cases ARE linked to lifestyle.