To determine whether fluoxetine is effective in the long-term treatment
of obesity and whether it is particularly useful in the treatment of obese
binge-eaters, the authors randomly assigned 45 obese subjects (22 with
binge-eating problems and 23 without binge-eating) to fluoxetine (60
mg/day) or placebo in a 52-week double-blind trial. The 21 subjects who
completed the trial made 13 clinic visits and were taught basic behavior
modification strategies. Patients treated with fluoxetine plus behavior
modification lost significantly more weight than those treated with placebo
plus behavior modification. However, the drug did not appear to have a
differential benefit for binge-eaters.Abstract Teaser