As the Qnexa weight-loss pill awaits approval by the FDA, here's a list of five non-dieting meds people take to cut fat. Warning: these prescription medications are meant to be used to address other issues, but they have been proven in studies to also help people drop pounds.

The Qnexa weight-loss pill, if it is approved by the FDA--which has stated it may come to a decision regarding the new diet med as early as April--would be the only the second such long-term prescription drug available in the United States aimed at helping patients shed body fat. The first, Xenical, was approved by the FDA more than a decade ago.

But there are a number of other prescription medications that studies have shown are effective at helping those who take them reduce their body weight, as reported on by New York magazine.

Below are six such prescription drugs which have shown to help patients shed pounds. Remember: we do not endorse using any of these medications except for their intended purposes. It's better to just wait for the Qnexa weight-loss pill's approval to be announced by the FDA, or better yet to eat better and get more exercise in order to reach your weight-loss goals.

1. Ritalin: Normally used to treat ADHD, Ritalin is a common prescription drug often prescribed to rowdy kids and adults who have problems maintaining focus and attention. A Canadian study showed that the study participants who took Ritalin consumed about 11 percent less calories than their non-Ritalin-taking counterparts, according to New York. It works by reducing patients' hunger pangs, and it is popular on eating-disorder forums, such as whyeat.net, where one user posted the following: Yeah, i dont have ADHD or anything at all.. I started using it in January with very hard exams, i passed with flying colours...I also had no appetite and lost 7kg in one month!

2. Topamax: A study in the journal Obesity revealed that patients lost an average of 16.4 pounds by taking this prescription seizure and migraine medication, according to New York. This med works a little more sneakily than some of the others on this list, by dulling patients' taste buds, though it may also contribute to short-term memory loss, one patient, who lost 80 pounds on the drug, said, according to New York.

3. ReVia: This alcohol and opiate addiction drug blocks opioid receptors in the brains of those who take it, which not only helps address drug addictions, but also helps to keep people from eating for pleasure. Women participants in a University of Virginia lost an average of 3.7 pounds over eight weeks by taking this medication, according to New York, which reported that an AskPatient.com user posted on the site that he or she no longer desired chocolate or sweets while taking ReVia as a weight-loss experiment.

4. Phentermine: This pill, often referred to as phen, is intended to be used only for short-term weight loss, but a 12-week UCLA study of women found that patients lost an average of a whopping 17.6 pounds while on the drug, New York wrote. The drug stimulates the brain in order to get it to control patients' appetites. However, there is an addictive aspect to Phentermine, so it is normally not prescribed for more than six weeks at a time. One Phentermine user wrote in a Phentermine.com forum that she lost 45 pounds by taking the drug for three-and-a-half months: Yesterday I found my old prom dress - and it fits perfectly! It means that I am wearing the same size as almost 20 years ago, when I was 17!!!

5. Wellbutrin XL: A small U.S. study showed that a sample of overweight and obese women lost an average of 12 pounds on this drug over an eight-week period, according to New York. Usually prescribed for depression, Wellbutrin works by decreasing appetite. A Drugs.com user said I am now a a happy and thinner woman after taking the drug, which depression patients are known for requesting prescriptions to over other drugs.

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