Why Are There No Really Great Diets or Obesity Drugs that Work Without Health Risks?

Obese Sacramento consumers trying to balance their weight may not understand how calories actually work in their bodies. According to a Sacramento Bee article published today, December 22, 2010 by Jeanine Stein and Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, "As Americans keep getting fatter, doctors ask: Where are the drugs?," scientists are still trying to find drugs to reduce obesity instead of looking for ways to balance diets by tailoring food to the genes of individuals who are obese.

The position of the article notes that scientists have had about the same success levels in trying to come up with new obesity drugs as the long-term dieters. The answer is neither the long-term dieters or the scientists developing obesity drugs have had a lot of success. Also check out my other Examiner article on the Obesity Society's 2010 recent conference. See the Fact Sheet: What Is Obesity.

Also see the website of the The Obesity Society. Is there a Sacramento chapter of The Obesity Society? The society's next conference in 2011 will be held in Orlando, Florida, October 1 to 5. What basically has been covered in the Sacramento Bee article today focused on whether any diet pills really work, considering the major health risks touted by the FDA. And another point made in the article emphasized whether fad diets work.

Can a diet pill be found that's safe? Not really--maybe. the FDA didn't approve two experimental weight-loss drugs because of the high risks. Those drugs not recommended were Lorqess and Qnexa, according to the Sacramento Bee article. A third drug, Meridia, was taken off the market after being linked to increased risks of heart attack and strokes.

When will scientists learn that for the obese, the food and fitness activities need to be tailored to an individual's genetic expression and genomic signature? And that science is still pretty much in its infancy or beyond what the average dieter can afford at this time.

Just a few weeks ago, the FDA recommended approval of another weight-loss drug: Contrave. But that drug is a combination of two existing drugs. One of those drugs is an antidepressant called bupropion. And the other drug it's combined with is an anti-addiction medication called naltrexone. But you'll have to wait until next year before the FDA rules on those drugs. Unfortunately, according to the Sacramento Bee article, the FDA cited the drug's "poor effectiveness." Another factor for the FDA to track are the health risks such as hypertension, once the drugs starts to be used by many people.

The conclusion of the Sacramento Bee article emphasizes how one drug after another falls or falters, resulting in frustration by doctors treating the obese. Who's watching the health risks? And how are the health risks of taking the drugs weighed against the health risks of carrying too much weight?

According to the Sacramento Bee article, 34 percent of people in the USA are obese, with 6 percent being "morbidly obese." Another point mentioned in the article is that studies have "shown that the most that can be hoped for from diets and exercise, on average, is a 10 percent loss of body weight sustained for at least one year." For further information, you can check out the meetings of the Obesity Society.

Sacramento Area Bariatric Surgery Program Links

LAPSF: This group of three doctors is focused solely on the surgical management of obesity. They have satellite clinics in Sacramento and throughout Northern California.

Sutter Bariatric Team: Information on Sutter Roseville's bariatric surgery services can be found here.

Sacramento Bariatric: Sacramento Bariatric Medical Associates was founded in 2003 by Dr. Laura Machado to provide a comprehensive bariatric surgical program for the Northern California region. Their program offers state-of-the-art bariatric surgery including gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (lap band).

UC Davis Bariatric Program: This is the home page for the UC Davis bariatrics program.