"I have always felt insecure about my body, but I never felt strange about that. All the women I know feel insecure about their bodies”, NOW intern.
“Whenever I come home for a visit from college, the first thing my dad comments on is whether or not I have gained weight, as if that is what matters the most. I try not to pay attention to it, but it has made me feel pretty self-conscious about my body," NOW intern.
…13-year-old girl…crying herself to sleep, "I'm so fat…my stomach sticks out! I know people aren't supposed to judge you by the way you look, but they do! They always do!"
Are there miracle weight loss drugs? If you are the maker of Metabolife, a “miracle” weight loss pill, who made approximately $93 million in three years, or Glaxo, the maker of Alli, who anticipates $1.5 billion in sales, your answer may be a positive one. And it's no wonder...Weight Watchers posted a $57.4 million dollar profit during the first quarter of 2008 and Jenny Craig posted a $20.1 billion dollar profit during the first quarter of 2007. There's a lot of money to be made when we feel bad about ourselves.
Being overweight carries with it a terrible stigma. And when overweight people are the target of endless, merciless jokes, it’s no wonder that “miracle” weight loss drugs are making obscene profits. For example, a lawmaker in Mississippi in 2008 proposed a bill prohibiting overweight people from dining out in restaurants. Newsweek published on an article dated May 18, 2008, “Global Warming: It’s Fat People’s Fault”. When someone is overweight, even if by a few pounds, most will do anything to lose the weight, even if it damages one’s health. In 1998, Fen-Phen was known to damage heart valves yet continued to sell as a weight loss product. A 41 year old woman took Fen-Phen for about 3 months, she was diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension years later after discontinuing the drug.
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/00286/fen_phen.htmlThe challenge with weight loss drugs is that they are not regulated like prescription drugs. This means that that many of these products can put additives in their products that may not be listed on the label, hence causing unseen damage. The Mayo clinic lists some of the ingredients that are commonly found in miracle weight loss drugs, what they’re from and what they do to the body. Both nurses and consumers need to be aware of these issues regarding weight loss drugs in order to ensure safety and well-being of one's health.
Thankfully, there are ways to lose weight safely and web sites that support this. Weightlossforall.com provides good advice for people who want to safely lose weight. The FDA has published an on-line guide on their web site about losing weight safely and effectively.
Are there really “miracle” weight loss drugs? Unfortunately, the answer leans towards no. The most effective way to lose weight is through lifestyle change: exercise and eating a healthful diet.
In this blog, we discuss the issue of miracle weight loss drugs in detail - the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Why is this a hot issue? How did it begin? Who should care? Who is involved? What is the big controversy? What are the news sources and experts saying about this issue? Why should nurses and consumers be educated? We have done thorough research from scientific journals (both older and recent) on the UTA Library Database as well as the FDA website so that you could get the entire scoop over the issue of miracle weight loss drugs.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01933.htmlhttp://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/weightls.html.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/HQ01160.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01933.htmlhttp://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/01/no-fat-people-allowed-only-slim-will-be.htmlhttp://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/labnotes/archive/2008/05/16/global-warming-it-s-fat-people-s-fault.aspxhttp://www.fen-phen-injury.com/texas.htm
it's been a hot issue ever since the passing of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994, in which dietary manufacturers must make sure their product is safe and that their label is true and not deceptive. Dietary supplements are not regulated like pharmaceutical drugs or a food item, which means that manufacturers do not have to promise the ingredients of their products. This lack of regulation means that anybody can put their product in the market and could have too much of an ingredient or too little. We all know that having too much of a ingredient can be harmful to our health along with using dietary supplements to substitute for a meal or pills prescribed to us by our doctor. It is important for doctors to know if their patient is taking any of these “natural” supplements to avoid any drug interactions. Even though these supplements are considered “natural,” they may not completely be safe for everybody. It is important for consumers, nurses, and doctors to be aware of the myths regarding these supplements and the harmful effects they have can towards the individual. Can you believe that the use of dietary supplements is worldwide and over half of Americans take them? It is crucial for consumers to consult their nurse or physician regarding any dietary supplement.
I like your group's posts. The graphics are very creative. I didn't know that dietary supplements weren't regulated by the FDA! I went to look at the label for my Omega 3 Fish Oil, and it says, "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." Interesting.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should care! Even if you’re not taking any weight loss drugs, you can surely teach a friend or family member about its potential harmful effects.
ReplyDeleteI agree… my mom really annoys me when it comes to her wanting to lose weight. Although she is extremely active in the house, she barely eats throughout the day, and when she does, it’s a pretty large serving for dinner. Then she complains to me about how she’s not losing weight even though she doesn’t eat that much. It’s really frustrating because she knows that eating only one full meal a day isn’t healthy because she’s seen it on many medical and fitness shows, as well as from Dr. Oz on Oprah. She walks about a mile during the evening a couple times a week, but that’s it as far as exercising. She has a bunch of Tae Bo and The Biggest Loser fitness DVD’s, and she used to do them semi-frequently, but apparently she lost motivation. I don’t know what to tell her because she pretty much doesn’t listen to my advice. I’m just glad she doesn’t take any of these weight loss pills.
ReplyDeleteEating once a day is the worse way to try to shed excess pounds. In fact, by eating only once, your body goes into starvation mode and begins to store more of the calories from your meal as fat. Our bodies adapt and will change in order to keep us alive.
ReplyDeleteyup, it is healthier to eat 4 to 6 healthy mini-meals throughout the day. Your metabolism will actually increase because your body is no longer in that “survival mode.” You also provide your body with nutrition and fuel to last the entire day.
ReplyDeleteLike I always say, there’s no substitute for a good and healthy diet. Add an exercise routine and you have yourself a plan!
ReplyDeleteThere’s so many ppl involved with weight loss drugs and it’s obviously becoming a universal problem because a lot of consumers are buying the pills, and the drug companies are making among the highest profits ever.
ReplyDeleteIt depends on your body type; you’ve gotta remember that it doesn’t work for everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteThese weight loss drugs might work because some block the fat in the diet, but it can’t work if people still continue to consume more “enjoyable” foods.
ReplyDeleteIt's great how that guy in the video emphasized that "fat-burning supplements" are only good for the short-term and are bad for the long-term. As he said, it's important to focus on diet, nutrition, and lifestyle. Those companies make a ridiculous amount of money by marketing the drugs as cheap and safe and with a lot of emotional hype. We need to get the facts straight and beware of all the advertising tactics!
ReplyDeleteI really admire that guy in the video educating consumers and trying to make them aware of the risks associated with weight loss drugs.
ReplyDeleteDrugs are bad!!! Just lose weight the natural way! Exercising and eating healthy instills self-discipline :)
ReplyDeleteThe best weight loss manager is common exercise and diet. For the
ReplyDeleteaverage adult, 2000 Calories daily maintains your weight and deviating
from that w/o change in exercise will increase or decrease your weight.
Lowering caloric intake and increasing exercise is the best "medication"
available!
good info :) awesome tips as well one can lose weight using good diet check how to lose weight while pregnant
ReplyDelete