Check out this new story FDA approved weight loss pill?

I just read this on cnn.com  any thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/07/dietp.pi ll.ap/index.html

My Opinion, harsh as it may be is this:

There is no magical pill.

I am personally against any more weight loss products being let loose on the populace. The FDA has only studied this drug for 4 years. I doubt it's efficacy under the best of circumstances. One still has to lower fat intake and count calories for it to help. Not worth the side effects, IMO, nor is it worth risking my liver.

Indeed. The problem with this pill is the same as most other diets. It may help you feel less hungry and eat less, but the moment you stop taking it, unless you've learned how to eat properly, you put the pounds back on.

There is no miracle solution.  The important things, such as being healthy and thin, come with a hard price: hard work, sweat and patience

What I thought was interesting is this is the first "FDA Approved" over the counter pill.   I agree, life style changes that promote a healthier lifestyle can not be gained from a pill.

I think its fabulous. More than half of America is overweight, maybe the FDA approval will encourage people to adapt a healthier lifestyle and will see results quicker when couple with this aid. And we all know, its easier to stick with something when we see results. If it helps people get to a adopt a healthier lifestyle and get to a healthy weight, fantastic.

While you're at it, don't forget to check out the side effects

"SIDE EFFECTS: The most common side effects of orlistat are oily spotting on underwear, flatulence, urgent bowel movements, fatty or oily stools, increased number of bowel movements, abdominal pain or discomfort, and inability to hold back stool (incontinence). Between 1 in 250 and 1 in 70 patients experienced one or more of these symptoms in the first year. Generally, the side effects occurred within three months of starting therapy. In about 50% of patients, the side effects resolved within one to four weeks, but the effects in some patients lasted six months or longer. To reduce the occurrence of these side effects, meals should contain no more than 30% fat because it is the unabsorbed fat that causes most of the symptoms.

Patients receiving orlistat with a history of oxalate kidney stones may develop increased levels of oxalate in their urine, which may increase the risk of kidney stones."

So... If you're willing to put up with those rather unpleasant problems, there you go.  Of course, simply sticking to the reccomended low fat diet might work all by itself, with no expense pill.  But then the drug company wouldn't make money would it?

Everyone is right there is no magic pill but I guess I see this differently than others. 

The pill seemed to be touted as an aid that must be used with a reduced fat/calorie diet and exercise.  The pill alone seems to do little if anything.  I belive the article said that for every 5 pounds lost one would loose an additional 2 pounds by using the medication.

I agree that the key to making changes in lifestyle is seeing results and the extra weight loss may be just the ticket to keep those who have good intentions stay on track.  Sure you may have to deal with the loose stools etc. but many endure much more in an effort to loose pounds.

Our society has changed over the years.  We have become fast paced and results oriented, and this may help.  I am not interested in taking part in the drug but I am sure many will.

I found it interesting that the article stated that the cost for the drug would run a dollar to two dollars a day.  My experience has shown that the real price will probably be closer to 3 to 4 dollars a day.  

A little math:

For a person who looses 10 pounds a month with diet and exercise alone to loose an additional 4 pounds with the drug will cost $7.50 a pound with the drug costing a dollar a day.  At 2 dollars a day the cost for the additional 4 lost pounds is a Whopping $15.00 a pound.

 

Hmm, I might be willing to try it only to enhance my healthy eating that I"m already doing.  The side effects sound bad though, and I"m prone to those sorts of things anyway.

The only thing in the entire article that caught my eye was

"to use along with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet and exercise."

Seems pretty obvious...more calories out then in...just as this website has been saying since the begining. losing weight isn't easy and no pill is going to magically cause you to lose, you have to put forth the effort.

My theory is that I am the one that put all that crap in my mouth and sat my lazy butt in front of the TV as the pounds crept up, It's up to me to watch what I eat and exercise. I didn't need a pill to pile on the pounds I shouldn't need one to take them off.

Yeah - I heard a report about this new pill on NPR this morning on my way into work. Sounds to me like they are setting young America up to believe that they can have their cake and eat it too (no pun intended). People want to believe that they can take a pill and be thin - and because they take the pill, they can cheat on eating habits and reduce exercise. I know that the label says "to be used along with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet and exercise" - but really, anyone who is already committed to that doesn't need a pill.....just a little patience.

Bottom line, if you want to be healthy, you have to eat healthy - it's a psychological shift. No pill can make that change for you. Sure, it will help you to be thin - because it will force you to reduce and/or eliminate fatty foods from your diet (according to the doctor they interviewed, the pill is designed to "reject" fatty foods and causes a great deal of discomfort if you eat foods that contain a lot of grease and fat).

The scarier thing is that this pill is approved for use for adults over the age of 18, but there are no plans to put it behind the counter at pharmacies. Basically, it will be available to everyone who thinks they need it....which means that there will be tons of naieve, insecure teens hoping to change their lives with this magic pill.

Just my opinion......

But couldn't it make your weight loss faster?  I'm thinking more along the lines of continuing to eat 1800 calories per day, which leads to about a 2 lb/week weight loss for me.  So if I took this, maybe it would be 2.5 or 3.  So I'd get to my goal weight faster.

I would never think that alone the pill would allow me to lose weight.

Well, the FDA says it will help you lose SLIGHTLY mor help, twindaze. So perhaps it does help, but only in conjunction with proper eating and exercise. Honestly, I'd talk to your doctor to get her opinion.

The only use I can imagine for ANY sort of diet aid would be as a motivational "jump start" to a lifestyle change.  There are a lot of people who have a hard time sticking to something if they don't see immediate improvement.  This might help those people get over the hump, so to speak.

But it's certainly not for me.

i find it a little scary that they are releasing a pill that should only be used for 6 months at a time on a society that is obsessed with shortcuts and thiness......

after watching interviews with *the (wo)man on the street* last night, i was not surprised to see people stating that they would "try it just to see how it works"......even after being told about the possible side effects....

do you think that people would be willing to try this drug if it made them nicer? or if it made them more charitable? it is only because of the eternal quest for thiness that they were willing to put their ability to NOT poop thier pants on the line....

and the side effects are pretty foul......can you imagine what the busses and subways will be like? or being stuck in a traffic jam?

perhaps now would be the time to invest in adult diaper stock?

My husband experiences most of those side effects on a daily basis simply from eating, should he avoid that then?

The new drug would contain half the dose of Xenical prescription capsules. The price has not been set but is expected to run $1 to $2 a day, company officials said.

Sure is a lot of money for that result.  3 months would run up about $90 to $180.  Ouch!

beka, your husband has problems with oily spots on his underwear and/or incontintence? If you're serious, I'd Seriously go have him check with a doctor.

Seriously, yes. He has a severe case of irratable bowel syndrome that he is being treated for. Some people experience this sort of thing normally and live just fine with it. Not that its all that much fun doing the laundry sometimes... :)

But, the point is, would he choose to live that way if he didn't have to?  Given that no one knows what the long term effects are and it creates so much trouble for so little return, why bother? Why not just eat right, exercise, get your sleep and water?

My doctor once mentioned this pill.  She said that it's for people who have bad eating habits and that it tends to work more as a conditioning tool....in that you are forced to eat healthier when on this pill for the simple reason that if you don't, then you suffer the above mentioned symptons.

It's true that developing healthy habits is necessary for weight loss.  It's also true that there is no "magic pill", however I challenge people who are so intollerant of any diet pill to broaden their thinking a little and try harder not to judge. Obesity is a MAJOR problem.  If this pill even has the POSSIBILITY of promoting healthier eating or may give someone that extra little push on their goal to weight loss....why not?