The controversial anti-obestity drug rimonabant, marketed as Acomplia, has been approved for National Health Service (NHS) use in the England and Wales. The National Institute for Healthcare and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has approved use of this diet drug in people who are clinically obese or people who are seriously overweight with complications such as diabetes.

The drug, made by Sanofi-Aventis, is approved for sale in Britain and elsewhere in the European Union but was rejected by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel in June 2007 because of concerns the drug increases the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts

A significant portion of U.K.'s public health funds are spent on obesity prescription drugs. According to the National Health Service, in 2006, prescriptions for orlistat and sibutramine reached one million, an eight-fold increase compared to 1999 figures.

The obesity pills, which has a staggering bill of $94.3 million USD (47.5 million GBP), indicate how Britain, like many western and industrialized countries, is grappling with an overweight population that could wreak havoc on the nation's health cost

The marketers of alli, a GlaxoSmithKline manufactured drug, will provide consumers with the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved over-the-counter weight loss product without a prescription as it hits store shelves this summer (2007).

However, first they are debuting the "diet pill" with an exhibit in New York City to educate the public about their product, which is being touted as a safe and effective drug that won FDA approval in February

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cautioning consumers to beware of multiple Internet sites that are selling counterfeit prescription drugs.

The warning is based on the accumulated information made by the FDA that reveals two dozen websites apparently involved in distributing the sale of these drugs

In a first likely to shake up a diet industry bloated with bogus or unproven products; the Food and Drug Administration has approved over-the-counter sales of a weight loss drug.

The drug, orlistat, will be the first medication of its kind available without a prescription. Orlistat is currently available by prescription under the brand name, Xenical, but the FDA's ruling Wednesday will make the drug available to millions of new consumers seeking ways to shed pounds, some experts predict. The over-the-counter version of the drug will be sold under the name "Alli