Health Check
Yet Another Prescription Weight-Loss Wonder Drug Hits the Shelves
Does anybody else find it somewhat odd that the FDA didn't approve any weight-loss drugs at all for 13 years ... and then suddenly, within the past month, they gave two medications the thumbs-up? First there was Belviq, which is supposed to be less damaging to the heart than the uber-popular (no longer available) Fen-phen. (Sounds less effective, too, if the clinical trial results mean anything.)
Now we have Qsymia (really, pharmaceutical companies? And that would be pronounced how, exactly?), which combines two drugs, phentermine (a chemical variation on amphetamine, which is apparently not dangerous when it's not paired with fenfluramine) and topiramate, an anti-seizure medication.
The thing is, neither Belviq nor Qsymia sounds all that different from any of the old diet pills. So why is the FDA approving them anyway, after all those years of, well, disapproval?
One has to wonder if it has anything at all to do with the fact that associated medical costs for obesity in the U.S. currently add up to about $147 billion annually. Whoa! These obese people are costing the powers that be a lot of money. And that, apparently, is a far more frightening side effect than, say, possible heart valve damage.
Look, I'm not saying the obesity epidemic isn't a major issue. Of course it is, and of course the medical community needs to address that issue. I'm just saying, the timing here is a little suspect. At least the way I see it.
Do you think the sudden approval of two weight loss drugs after all these years is questionable?
Image via Melanie Tata/Flickr
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Mariah Hildebrand
EvalynCarnate
I agree with Mariah. Its a sad state of affairs when a salad costs 3x more than a greasy double burger. If you're broke and hungry, you'll go for the damn burger!
RhondaVeggie
Saying you're fat and unhealthy because burgers are cheap is a total copout. There are gazillions of healthy options that are also cheap if you give a crap about your health.
Lauren Stroud Doherty
well im broke alot and the cheeseburger wins beside who has a tacobell EVERYWHERE? and baked potatoes yeah wendys has them for a $1 but i suppose we should wait for them to cook. time and money make alot of peple choose unhealthy but you cant but any other of those suggestions from a convience store or grocery store for $1-3. i want to know where YOU live that you can because i live in SC and the cost of living is cheap and you are floating on a cloud if you think thats a cheap option. hummus? ahaha thats like $5 ATLEAST. im not fat by any means but i eat cheeseburgers alot because its affordable. its people jumping on the "organic" train causing rising prices. no pesticide/herbicide sprayed less crop yielded and im a many generation farming descendant so you're getting what you ask for but its costly and hurting the rest of us because more growers are either leaning that way or raising their prices simply because they can with the "organic" crazy so high. it sucks cuz i miss my salads and what not.
JennyG0929
Eat less. Move more.
Mandago
Amanda Marie Anderson
It's called eating healthier, smaller portions and getting physical activity ie; working out. That's the solution period. Everyone aks how I lost weight like I have some magic solution that allows them to be lazy and eat whatever they want and still lose weight. You have to suck it up. Some people cannot lose the weight for medical reasons, maybe these drugs will help them but who knows? It's too early to tell I think. However I do agree with the article's point that it may be to combat how much obestiy is costing us in medical coverage.
Amanda Marie Anderson
Also I'm not trying to be rude but I feel like a lot of people who cannot afford healthy food aren't that educated on healthier foods. A lot of people have no idea what hummus is and are working two jobs to support their family...they don't really have time to go on pintrest and pin some recipes. They'll get what's cheap and easy...which ends up being fast food, chips, soda, etc.