Is there a panacea for losing weight?
Some guidance on decision making about taking weight loss medicines.
I’ve wanted to write this article for a while. We’ve all seen the headlines, and innuendos about the weight loss medicines. This can involve guessing if a celebrity is taking one of the weight loss drugs, to looking at before and after photographs. What do you do if you have tried the umpteenth diet and the weight has returned as soon as you stopped the diet? Should you give one of the weight-loss drugs a chance?
There is clearly a problem in our society regarding the accumulation of an abnormal amount of weight. Newsflash! Something is wrong with the amount and type of food that the average person in the United States (and other countries) eats, and taking medicines to fix this is not the answer because it is likely to lead to other problems.
Weight loss medicines are studied for their safety as well as their efficacy. It strikes me as interesting that rats and mice are fed a diet that makes them extremely fat, and then they are given the medicine to see if it works by producing weight loss. What would happen if human beings stopped consuming the type of foods that are making them grossly obese? They would not need medicines to lose weight.
There is a characteristic profile of weight gain when people consume fast food. The weight seems to accumulate in an abnormal pattern of fat deposition around the belly, the thighs, and the buttocks. This weight deposition is not attractive, and will almost certainly lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes if not addressed quickly. It is no surprise (at least not to me) that most of the weight loss drugs are developed for the treatment of diabetes. There is a benefit if taking these medicines changes the type of food ingested, and Type 2 diabetes is no longer an issue.
The regions of a city that tend to have a high density of restaurants like ….. you know the restaurants [Biden - you know the deal!]. They tend to serve chicken, burgers, very sweet milk shakes in oversized portions, and sweet fizzy drinks. The people who live in these areas tend not to cook for themselves. As a result, their children also consume their meals from these restaurants and are already obese even before they reach their teen years.
How can we avoid developing a weight problem? The answer is to learn how to cook, and to avoid processed food.
Is there a panacea? Sadly no. There is no good outcome for those who eat whatever they want to and take these medicines. The reason is that there are concerns with the long-term intake of any medicine, and that is why all medicines need to be taken in relation to their risks and potential for benefit.
Steps to Take Before taking the Weight Loss Medicines
Review the product label carefully.
The product label is available online. You can also ask the pharmacist in a pharmacy to provide you with a print-out of the product label.
Check the product label for Indications. The Indication is the statement that clearly states who the medicine is approved for. The Indication statement is crafted from the studies that were conducted successfully.
Check the product label for Contraindications. The Contraindication is the statement that states which patients must NOT take the medicine. If the Contraindication states that people with liver disease must not take the medicine, and you have liver disease, the medicine is not appropriate for your ingestion.
Check carefully how long you can take the medicine for. If the label states that the medicine can be used for 3 months maximum, under the supervision of a physician, then this is the duration that it can be taken for. You must not continue to take the medicine to lose weight for the rest of your life, even if you can see the benefit.
Check the label for the description of the clinical trials that were conducted. How were the studies carried out, and how effective was the drug when compared against placebo?
How safe was the drug determined to be when compared against placebo? What were the adverse events, and how did they compare against placebo?
What were the results of the Carcinogenicity studies? Were the Carcinogenicity studies positive or negative?
As you review the product label is there anything that causes you concern?
These medicines are not intended to be used for the rest of your life. When the studies are conducted, the participants in the study take part in carefully controlled exercise programs. The exercise programs and attention to dietary intake is as much a part of the study as the intake of the medicine. Of course, the participants lose weight. However, participants in the placebo group also control their dietary intake and take part in a carefully controlled exercise program, so they also lose weight.
Remember, there is a saying that there are no fat people in famine. Consider the risks and benefits in relation to your personal health before taking any medicine.