Obesity Management: Naltrexone-Bupropion Combination Therapy

Running head: ASSIGNMENT 1
Module 6: Quality of Life as an Outcome
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ASSIGNMENT 1
The chronic illness I have selected for this assignment is obesity among adults.
Obesity refers to the medical condition that involves deposition of excess body fat to an
extent that creates a negative impact on the health of the affected individuals. It is commonly
caused due to a range of factors such as sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, genetic
susceptibility, and large intake of food (Kraschnewskib et al., 2013). The DynaMed database
states that the most common medications that are administered for management of obesity are
orlistat, liraglutide, lorcaserin, and naltrexone-bupropion. Of these, the drug naltrexone-
bupropion will be discussed in the essay.
Side effects
The drug has been recommended not to be used in situations where the obese patients
have history of seizures, or suffer from eating disorders such as, anorexia nervosa and
bulimia nervosa (Billes, Sinnayah & Cowley, 2014). Furthermore, some of the adverse
effects of the drug are attributed to the fact that it has been correlated with mood alterations.
Young people have also reported suicidal ideations on taking these prescribed drugs. Other
side effects include nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, dizziness, headache, flushing, dry mouth
and insomnia (Hollander et al., 2013).
Summary
Although this combination drug is prescribed for weight loss due to the synergistic
effects they create on the weight of obese people, I hold the belief that overweight people
require interventions that focus on dietary modifications and physical exercise, to burn excess
body fat. Lower food intake programs and exercise should be made a permanent part of the
lifestyle of individuals suffering from the chronic illness, thereby managing their weight and
reducing risks of comorbid conditions such as, diabetes and cardiovascular problems (Kratz,
Baars & Guyenet, 2013). Exercise lowers the cholesterol and blood pressure levels, in