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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

I studied the review of pharmacotherapy for obesity by Glazer¹ in the August 13/27, 2001, issue of the ARCHIVES. The author defined efficacy using the surrogate of weight loss rather than looking at clinical outcome measures. The review based its conclusion on the principle that if you define your standards low enough, you can be successful at anything. A weight loss of 17 lb (7.6 kg) in excess of placebo is the evidence-based support of long-term obesity pharmacotherapy. This conclusion seems unwarranted since no tangible outcome benefit has been demonstrated.¹ Not only does the practitioner reject this as a successful therapy, but patients also regard these modest benefits as disappointing.²

I respectfully submit that the evidence needed to convince the prudent clinician includes a significant benefit in survival, function, or disease reduction. Before an expensive and dangerous approach can be adopted, the bariatric research community must accept a standard established . . . [Full Text of this Article]