Orlistat, sibutramine and metformin appear beneficial for the treatment of adults with obesity. Exercise and/or behaviour therapy appear to improve weight loss when added to diet. Low-fat diets with exercise, with or without behaviour therapy, are associated with the prevention of type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Long-term weight loss in epidemiological studies was also associated with reduced risk of developing diabetes, and may be beneficial for cardiovascular disease.
Low-fat diet and exercise interventions in individuals at risk of obesity-related illness, such as diabetes, are of comparable cost to drug treatments.