INTRODUCTION: Are there really miracle weight loss drugs?


"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.html

The 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.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/weightls.html.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/HQ01160.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01933.html
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/01/no-fat-people-allowed-only-slim-will-be.html
http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/labnotes/archive/2008/05/16/global-warming-it-s-fat-people-s-fault.aspx
http://www.fen-phen-injury.com/texas.htm

Saturday, March 21, 2009

FDA-approved prescription weight-loss medications

Obesity is a chronic disease! In order to lose and maintain that weight, it is necessary to modify one’s diet and engage in regular physical activity. Some people, though, may require additional treatment. This is where prescription weight loss drugs come in.

“Prescription weight-loss medications should be used only by patients who are at increased medical risk because of their weight. They should not be used for cosmetic weight loss. In addition, patients should have previously tried to lose weight through diet and physical activity.”

Prescription weight-loss drugs are approved only for those with:
~A body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above
~A BMI of 27 and above with an obesity-related condition

Most of the FDA-approved weight-loss medications are only supposed to be used for short-term use, meaning a few weeks.

Sibutramine and orlistat are the only weight-loss medications approved for long-term use in patients who are significantly obese. However, their safety and effectiveness have not been established for use beyond 2 years.

Appetite suppressants include sibutramine, phentermine, phendimetrazine, and diethylpropion. The promote weight loss by decreasing appetite and making you feel less hungry. They can also work by increasing the feeling of being full.

In the mid-1990s, doctors prescribed the appetite suppressant Redux ("phen-fen"). However, the drug was taken from the market in 1997 because it caused damage to heart valves!!!

Lipase inhibitors, such as orlistat, work by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb fat by about one-third. It blocks the enzyme lipase, the enzyme that breaks down dietary fat. When fat is not broken down, the body cannot absorb it, so it is eliminated and fewer calories are taken in.

The risks of prescription weight loss drugs - Talk to your doctor about concerns and risks of addiction, developed tolerance, and unpleasant side effects! Also keep in mind existing allergies you have, whether or not you are pregnant or breastfeeding, what other medications you’re taking, and if you have existing medical conditions.

Please click here for more information about FDA’s “New Prescription Drug Approvals” and “Prescription Drug Information.”

http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/prescription.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/weight-loss-prescription-weight-loss-medicine
http://www.fda.gov/CDER/Drug/default.htm
Posted by at

33 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 22, 2009 at 8:32 AM

    We shouldn't taken any sort of pill, herbal, otc, or prescribed, to lose weight. But, if it's a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y necessary, then please at least go talk to a doctor about the benefits of a prescriprion weight loss drug, specially for YOUR BODY. These drugs affect everyone differently.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 22, 2009 at 11:46 AM

    That graph demonstrates a lot about how people feel about being overweight. It's unfortunate that people reach that certain degree of obesity! If only people are educated from a very young age about eating healthy and exercising everyday, then maybe, just maybe, there wouldn't be so much attention to weight loss drugs. It's true that heredity and genes play a role in a person's body type, but that can't be used as an excuse of being overweight.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 23, 2009 at 6:01 PM

    I'd like to make it know that I am not a supporter of weight loss pills, or even surgery in most cases, at all. As a society, we are stressing unhealthy eating practices by making portions sizes larger or emphasizing the "quick and easy" meal, which is often lacking in important nutrients. In most cases, resorting to a diet pill or weight loss surgery is a result of many years of poor diet choices and a generally sedentary lifestyle. People view these things as an easy way out, and that just infuriates me.

    Now, don't think I'm making these comments to cast judgment on anyone. I'm personally overweight myself, but I realize that I've done wrong in the past and have been attempting to adjust my diet in addition to exercising more regularly (I'm currently working out 3-4 times a week). My father was also in a dire situation in regards to his weight. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure over two years ago and was told that if he didn't lose weight he could die. He has since made efforts to alter his diet and has lost ~75 lbs. since then and is still losing.

    My point in all of this is that there are always alternatives when it comes to weight loss. The problem is that people are unwilling to "inconvenience" themselves in order to take care of their bodies. Personally, I'd rather run for 20 minutes a day than put those pills into my body.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 7:45 AM

    I like what Rob said ^^^
    He's absolutely right, America is stressing unhealthy practices, especially in school cafeterias across the nation. I remember there was a show on ABC I believe about how Shaq O'Neil (NBA player) tried to get school districts to offer healthier foods to the students. Unfortunately, the schools didn't like the idea because it's more expensive. His quest wasn't very successful :-(

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 2:04 PM

    Any type of "unnecessary" medication, not just weight loss drugs, should be used to only for short-term purposes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 26, 2009 at 9:50 AM

    I think this is just another example of laziness. People need to get up and do the work it takes to lose weight. It takes disciple and self will.
    ---Shenee

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMarch 26, 2009 at 9:56 PM

    I agree that prescription or recommended-by-doctor weight loss pills should only be used if their weight is so high that it increases the chance of medical/health problems.

    ReplyDelete
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