  Obesity is a global health concern associated with high morbidity and
mortality. Therapeutic strategies include synthetic drugs and surgery, which
may entail high costs and serious complications. Plant-based medicinal agents
offer an alternative approach. A review of the studies on accessible botanical
sources for the treatment of obesity is provided, which attempts to explain how
these medicinal plants act to cause weight loss, and which approach is safer
and more efficient. Information was gathered for the period of 1991 to 2012.
Five basic mechanisms, including stimulating thermogenesis, lowering
lipogenesis, enhancing lipolysis, suppressing appetite, and decreasing the
absorption of lipids may be operating. Consumption of standardized medicinal
plant extracts may be a safe treatment for obesity. However, some combinations
of medicinal plants may result in either lower efficacy or cause unexpected
side-effects.
