Here are two articles on weight loss drugs. The first one is about Histalean, a new drug that makes weight loss safer. The makers believe that it targets the H1 and H3 receptors to reduce the desire to eat fatty foods. According to the article, the study was conducted on men and women with a BMI of 30-40, indicating obesity, but data was only provided for women as the article says that the effect was greatest in women. Given an average female height of 5′ 4″ (1), we’re looking at a bodyweight of 180-230lbs and a weight loss of 5.2 to 6.7lbs in 12 weeks (average of 2.91% bodyweight loss), not exactly impressive. The same numbers for men yield 6 to 7.9lb lost from bodyweight of 205-270 (assuming avg male height of 5′9″ (2)), but from the article we know that men don’t lose as much as women. And since it’s been given to some 130 million sufferers of Meniere’s disease as the drug Serc, you’d think there’d be some proof of its efficacy. Here’s Sandy Szwarc dissecting the study results in much greater detail. The bottom line: it’s nonsensical drug company double-speak.

The second is an article from Forbes about Arena Pharmaceuticals’ new weight loss drug, Lorcaserin. This one “works by stimulating a serotonin receptor in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain linked to the control of satiety and metabolism.” Messing with serotonin…always a good idea! Serotonin only handles such unimportant things as mood, body temperature, sleep and sexuality, along with appetite.

The only two approved prescription obesity drugs in the U.S. deliver mediocre results and haven’t sold very well. Abbott’s Meridia leads to an incremental weight loss of 10 pounds more a year than a regular low-calorie diet, according to the Mayo Clinic, with side effects that can include increased blood pressure, constipation and insomnia. Roche’s Xenical, a $94-million-a-year seller, results in an average weight loss of 6 pounds a year, and users must contend with oily and frequent bowel movements. GlaxoSmithkline now sells an over-the-counter version of Xenical called Alli. Its Web site recommends new users wear dark clothing and have an extra pair of pants handy to cope with those unpleasant side effects. “People are really desperate. I get letters all the time asking, ‘How can I get your drug?’” says Lief, 61

It still blows my mind that people would take a drug that causes them to go in their drawers without warning. But here’s the best part. Check the stats at the bottom to see the effects of two drugs vs diet and exercise: Xenical - 6 pounds per year; Meridia - 10 pounds per year; Diet & exercise - 15 pounds per year. Doh!

Until now, there has been no safe, long-term medical remedy that tackles unwanted weight gain.

And there probably still isn’t. There is no need for medicine to help most overweight people drop pounds. A change in lifestyle is all that’s needed. Focusing on a Paleo diet of meats, vegetables, nuts, oils, fruit, and tubers rather than a high-carb diet of grains and sugar, along with taking a bit of exercise and getting 8 hours of sleep per night will do far more than any of these pills and will do it far more safely. You’ll not only lose weight, but you’ll get healthy, which should be the ultimate goal.

Sources:
(1) Average Female Height
(2) Average Male Height
(3) Wikipedia - Serotonin


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