Obesity treatment can bring "considerable benefit" to patients with few side effects, the National Obesity Forum has said.
The comments coincide with the publication of a government-commissioned report, which suggests as many as 60 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women could be in need of obesity treatment by 2050.
Dr Colin Wain said that prescribed anti-obesity medications tend to be "well tolerated" by patients.
However, he noted that they should not be regarded as a quick fix for obesity and should be accompanied by relevant lifestyle changes.
"People have to understand that they're an aid; you can't not alter your lifestyle and [just] swallow the pills. They are an aid to people altering their lifestyles," he explained.
The expert also said that obesity surgery, such as gastric bypass or gastric banding, is "very effective" and ought to be offered more widely in the UK.
"It's a bit of a postcode lottery at the moment," he said. "I'm not saying it's a universal answer, but for a small section of people it brings huge benefits."
