Approval, likely next month, will enable Botox's maker, Allergan, which is based in California, to advertise its cosmetic benefits direct to doctors and consumers in America, and could turn Botox into a billion-dollar lifestyle drug to rival Viagra and Prilosec.

ECONOMIST: Beauty treatments

"Patients with early kidney disease are particularly likely to benefit from lifestyle changes and drug treatments aimed at the risk factors for heart disease and strokes, as these will help reduce the risk of progressive kidney disease, " he said.

BBC: Kidney care 'needs to improve'

Right now, there are few effective tools to aid in the effort, though, ultimately, many experts feel the answer to America's obesity lies not with a drug but, rather, lifestyle changes.

CNN: Combo of old drugs offers new hope in obesity fight

Some of the problems were the result of bad luck (unexpected illnesses, for instance), but more than half were related to behavior or lifestyle, and included relationship problems, drug or alcohol abuse, and money trouble.

CNN: When adult children fail, parents suffer too

Exercise and diet are incredibly powerful--one two-year-old study showed that lifestyle changes treat diabetes better than Glucophage, a drug made by Bristol-Myers Squibb (nyse: BMY - news - people ).

FORBES: Lose Weight, Quit Smoking With One Pill

But Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of Weight Concern and a GP in Nottingham, said doctors had forgotten how great an influence lifestyle choices had on health, and were becoming more and more drug-oriented.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Pill popping: the lazy way to health

The reasons why people gain excess weight vary -- and one drug isn't likely to address all these factors including lifestyle, food access and environment.

CNN: Why isn't there a safe weight-loss pill?