Hunting The Elusive Fat Pill

Okay, I will admit for some people these drugs are necessary, but the vast majority of overweight people need to stop being lazy and exercise.

I agree with popscifan3. I've seen a lot of people say that obesity is a disease. What I haven't seen in a long time is someone eating an apple.

Drugs like these are sometimes necessary for people with certain conditions, but they should only be for people who have a real condition.

You guys are right altho the vice with this is that people are generally designed to eat things that make us fat. Cuz back in the day when food wasnt plentiful we needed to do this to survive. thats why things like fat and sugar taste good for us.

I think the key to a good weight loss drugs would be something that stimulates the production of HGH (human growth hormone). Synthetic HGH is perscribed to elderly people to rebuil muscle and bone mass. Studies have shown that people tend to loss excess fat and build muscle at the same time. cool hey? downfall right now is that most peoples bodies produce enough of the stuff to stay healthy, so doping with synthetics can cause your body to stop producing this hormone all together. but if u can stimulate your bodies production then I think you got winner :)

The main problem is that people always fall back on the same tactics - eat less and exercise more. But here's the problem with both of these tactics:

When you eat less, that's when your body goes into starvation mode, and it stores up more fat to guarantee its survival - it has no idea that you have a refrigerator stocked full of food or you have a grocery store just down the street. And when it needs energy, the first place it goes is not that fat reserve - it takes the muscle you're not using, and burns that for energy. So you gain fat and you use muscle.

Then what happens when you try and exercise? Well, your body doesn't have the complex carbohydrates it needs to be able to sustain your workout. So it's harder and harder for you to exercise.

The problem is that calorie restricted diets or carb restricted diets actually increase cravings, and what do you go for? The sugars and simple carbohydrates that we're so used to. So we end up building more fat and losing lean muscle.

The solution is to shift to a balanced glycemic eating pattern that doesn't give us more carbohydrates than our body can handle, but also doesn't put the body into starvation mode, and to combine that with an exercise pattern that builds lean muscle mass, and creates a sustainable pattern to maintain these habits over a lifetime.

well said hypnometal

"...the vast majority of overweight people need to stop being lazy and exercise."

Although this sounds good in theory, if you talk with sports-rehab therapists you will be given a different picture.

Most people assume that eating right and exercising will solve the problems for the overweight without taking into concideration the amount of abuse that excercise places on the body. Pinched nerves in the lower back. Blown out knees. Twisted ankles. Ruptured disks. And the list goes on.

To safely workout requires a large amount of planning and usually a fair deal of money in safety equipment. If you go tell an obese person to go out and start a slow pace on a treadmill the next day you may wind up with a person so sore that they never want to return to it.

The pharmaceutical industry is barking up the wrong tree. The goal in effective long term weight control is through feeding the body what it needs. When will BIG PHARMA understand that there isn't a quick fix one pill solution for this and everything else for that matter. Medical intervention is the 3rd leading cause of death in North America with adverse drug reactions taking the majority of that wonderful title as demonstrated by this article. The human body is capable of taking care of itself providing it is given the right environment to succeed. one "DIET" that comes to mind and it isn't even a diet per say but is based on one of the only verifiable methods studied to prolong life called the CRON diet. CRON is an acronym for Calorie Reduced with Optimum Nutrition. For those thinking that optimum nutrition includes BigMacs and French Fries, think again. The majority of overweight or obese people I come across are just plain ignorant thinking that giant multi-national corporations will provide them with sensible healthy options. Everything is processed these days in order to maximize profitability. Take a can of soup for example, one can contains approximately half of your daily requirement for sodium(salt) intake and companies like Campbell's are well aware of it so they have reduced that along with sugar but guess how they are doing it so that you still enjoy their products. Sodium, sugar and MSG are used to flavor and/or preserve packaged goods without it we would likely not buy them because they wouldn't taste any good. A chemical company by the name of Senomyx has contracted with Kraft, Nestle, Coca Cola, and Campbell Soup to put a chemical in foods that masks bitter flavors by turning off bitter flavor receptors on your tongue. The companies can then reduce sugar and sodium levels by approximately half without affecting the flavor. All of the companies declined to identify which foods and beverages the chemical additives have been or will be added to. These chemical compounds are not required to be listed separately on food labels; they are grouped into the general category of "artificial flavors" along with all the other potentially toxic chemicals you are ingesting without knowing it. Senomyx was able to obtain FDA approval and a “generally recognized as safe” classification from the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association in less than a year and a half, based on a safety study of rats conducted for just 3 months.

Bottom line folks don't be ignorant and read your labels. If you can't pronounce it, it is not likely to be good for you. All these poisons along with environmental pollutants are clogging our bodies from working efficiently. Apply common sense to how you eat and don't expect big corporations like Campbell's or giant pharmaceutical compnaies to solve your answers and believe that they have your well being at the forefront.

Anyone looking for suggestions on losing weight and implementing an effective program contact me via popsci

There is not much about this article that I agree with. For instance humans are not programed to store fat we are programed to remove excess sugar from the blood as sugar(glucose) above normal(about 1 teaspoon) is considered toxic and must be removed from the blood.

There are three major storage areas in the body for glucose; the muscles, the liver and fat cells. As most people consume more then 1 teaspoon of sugar in most meals and do almost no exercise to burn the sugar before it must be stored then the excess gets stored, usually as fat. The major hormone in the sugar storage process is insulin. In the absence of insulin it is very difficult for the body to store fat and in the presence of high insulin levels it is almost imposable to release fat from the cells for burning. Therefore it is only logical that to effectively shead fat you must reduce insulin levels below the fat storage level and preferably as low as possible.

There are two ways to lower insulin levels. The first is the standard low calorie diet that most people cannot tolerate for extended periods of time. The other method is to reduce sugar(carbs) to a low level. When carbs are kept below about 30 grams a day insulin will drop to very low levels and fat will be released easily from the fat cells to be burned or discarded as ketone bodies. A side effect of ketone bodies in the blood is reduced apatite.

As you may have figured out the second method of reducing insulin levels is the standard low-carb Atkins stile diet that has been shown in a growing number of studies to be more effective at reducing body fat then other low-calorie diets.

Personally I have been following a low-carb diet for 6 years after losing 50lbs in the first 6 months. At 45 I'm in better shape then I have ever been. I currently weigh 180lbs with about 9% body fat. My blood work is excellent and my blood pressure is below normal. I do no aerobic exercises and only do pushups and pullups to maintain and build upper body strength. I easily maintain my weight while eating as many non-carb calories that I want. I'm rarely sick and can even keep up with my 4 and 5 year old kids.

Most people reading this post will discount it as a sample of one but I hope it will get some to be curious enough to take a look at some of the resources on the net and see that a low-carb lifestyle is an effective tool in the battle against the growing problem of obesity.

I discovered about 5 years ago quite accidentally, that the Homeopathic Remedy Natrum Phosphoricum 6x which is a Tissue Salt also known as Nat Phos 6x will reduce weight by up to 1 Kg per week. Nat Phos is extensively used in Homeopathy for the treatment of GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) also known as Heartburn or Hyperacidity which many suffer from, especially after dinner. I had prescribed this remedy for a patient who was suffering from GERD and was also overweight by about 25 kg and was agreeably surprised when he met me about 3 months later to report that his GERD had stabilized and that he had also shed about 10kg of his weight and was able to use his clothes which he had discarded due to his daily expanding girth.

Since that first surprise discovery, I have given this remedy to many hundreds of patients and also conveyed this chance discovery to the world on my Homeopathic Forum "Homeopathy and More" on:

http://www.homeopathyandmore.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1

I am aware that Nat Phos 6x is now being used extensively in many countries throughout the world and it is my hope that anyone who reads this message will also use it and discover that his/her weight reduces by up to 1 kg per week. The dosage I have used is just 2-3 tablets taken after each of two main meals. Please note that the action of Nat Phos to reduce weight is antidoted by Coffee, preserved meats containing Saltpeter like Sausages, Ham and Bacon and all cola beverages all of which will neutralize its action.

The great advantage of this remedy is that it is very safe in use and is also very cost effective to be used on a daily basis in comparison to the expensive drug Rimonabant which is a dangerous Cannabinoid based drug that was known to be dangerous even before it was released by the manufacturers. It is fortunate that it has since been withdrawn by Big Pharma who were anticipating a killing in their sales of this most dangerous drug which is reported to have claimed many lives.

It is my hope that your website will test the efficacy of Nat Phos 6x by giving it to anyone in your own office who is overweight and spread the word throughout the world of its safety in daily use.

You can contact me for any further information by email on: joe@titusstores.com

Joe De Livera
Colombo
Sri Lanka

RobD nailed it. Human beings ate low carb for thousands of years before grain cultivation. Until recent history, we could get away with all that excess sugar coursing through our bodies because we lived without AC, no cars, lived very physically demanding lives, etc. and burned it off before storing it as fat.

However our sedentary, climate-controlled lifestyle combined with a convenience food culture and a retarded government food pyramid based on a deeply flawed Ancel Keys study that he jiggered to get the outcome he wanted, has created a tsunami of obesity.

I've lost 120 lbs and kept it off for two years living low carb. I work outside in all types of weather and come into contact with hundreds of strangers everyday, and yet two weeks ago was the first time I've been sick in the three years I've been eating this way. I went through all my cold/flu meds and realized every single one had expired a year ago or more! I feel better at 35 than I did at 25.

Like you, I would like to encourage anyone out there reading this who is obese and maybe feeling like there's no hope to use the net to find out more about low carb living. It's never too late! The first thing you have to realize is that you do have the power to improve your life. Eating a natural human diet isn't punishing like one of these calorie-counting, low-fat torture diets.

I LOVE FOOD. Obviously, or I wouldn't have been morbidly obese! The beauty of a low carb diet is fat and protein are satisfying AKA hunger fighting and TASTE GOOD. That's why diet pills will never work. If you love food, you need to make a lifestyle change that can be compatible with an obese person's obvious love/obsession with food.

And a diet that insists on grains AKA hunger creators as it's base combined with disgusting tasting low-fat this, and calorie-counting skim that is a recipe for long term failure.

The Atkins and Beverly Hills Diets are GARBAGE! If you follow those diets you are heading for a disaster. Your body needs the proper balance of Protein, Carbohydrates and yes Fats!

The type, ratio and amounts that your body requires are all individualized and should be calculated by a nutritionist who knows your individual needs and goals. Your Basal Metabolic Rate, Exercise Levels, Training and Fitness Goals all need to be taken into consideration.

Yes, carbohydrates can be bad for you...white processed bread, white rice, etc. All these things tend to convert very quickly to a spike in blood sugar rather than a gradual release like a complex carb as in whole grain breads and rice. Eliminating an entire food group is a terrible idea!

Fats are actually good! Remember Omega 3 Fatty acids? Remember the fat contained in certain nuts? The fats in those actually help control hunger between meals.

RobD, sorry to burst your bubble...the high levels of protein that the Atkins diet has you take in at one time is actually toxic to the liver! I was very active in the sport of bodybuilding for several years and didn't see many bodybuilders consuming the levels of protein that Atkins recommends at one meal. Your workout routine is very poor. At 45 years of age you are headed for trouble very quickly. You need to be seen by a cardiologist and get a stress test. You are, by your own admission, not getting any aerobic activity. By your own statement, "I do no aerobic exercises and only do pushups and pullups to maintain and build upper body strength. I easily maintain my weight while eating as many non-carb calories that I want".

RobD I am 48 years old. I do workout. I do aerobic activity. I do interval training 3 times a week. I eat a balanced diet and eat several times a day (with snacks between to control hunger...including carbs for energy). I don't say all of this to brag, but to try to say to you and anyone else who may even consider that FOOLISH ATKINS DIET---DON'T DO IT!!! What happens when you become a normal person and you start eating carbs again? Worse yet, what happens when you have liver damage from the toxic amounts of protein or worse even yet...what about your heart? The heart that you are not exercising...by your own statement! The most important muscle in your body! Those blood tests, and blood pressure levels don't tell the whole story RobD. Many, many people die each year with great blood pressure and wonderful blood work results (i.e., clean bills of health) but failed to exercise, rest, relieve stress and eat right!

Good Luck to You!

workoutone,

Thanks for highlighting the many false arguments against a low-carb lifestyle.

#1 The body needs carbs to be healthy. False, a normal healthy person has no dietary requirement for carbs. In the absence of carbs the liver will convert dietary protein to glucose to maintain blood sugar. The Inuit and other aboriginal people have almost no carbs in there native diet and live long a and healthy lives.

#2 There are good carbs and bad carbs. False, all carbs except fiber are converted to glucose and cause an insulin response. Whole wheat bread and the new cereals that they have on the shelf are only slightly lower in carbs then there white counterparts. Think of whole wheat bread like cocaine that has been cut with something inert. It is still cocaine.

#3 Atkins style diets are only meat and fat. False, many low-carb vegetables, nuts and even fruits are allowed if you are low-carbing. I eat almonds and other nuts as snacks and when not actively trying to lose weight berries are also consumed. If our Palio ancestors could not spear it or pick it up off the ground and eat it raw then you shouldn't eat it is a good general rule.

#4 Low-carb diets are high protein. False, they can be if you over do it but most low-carbers only eat slightly higher amounts of protein then the average person. I eat 40 grams of protein per meal. That is only a 6oz steak. There is no scientific evidence that protein has any toxic effect on any internal organ.

#5 You must exercise like an Olympic athlete to be fit. False, as I noted in my previous post, I don't do any intense exercise and maintain a low bf % and my bp and pulse are below normal. I have had a stress test as my family has a history of heart problems. The cardiologist said that I was one of the most fit 40 somthings he has seen in years.

#5 When you become "normal" and start eating carbs again what then? Heh, if that happens I will get fat again. I use the term low-carb diet because that is what most people call it but it really is a lifestyle and just like any other dietary program, if you go back to the way you lived before you lost the weight you will just gain it back.

"Many, many people die each year with great blood pressure and wonderful blood work results (i.e., clean bills of health) but failed to exercise, rest, relieve stress and eat right!"

True, and long distance runners die all the time also. Do a search and see how many hard core runners have died of sudden cardiac problems, there are quiet a few. Most of our ancestors did not run long distances and where really quite lazy most of the time because once the kill was made it was feast and nap time.

Like I said before, do some looking around. If you are intellectually curious I think you will find that there is a ton of evidence out there that a low-carb lifestyle is really how we are meant to live and our current obesity problems could be solved by the reduction of carbs. If you look at the charts of food consumption from about 1960 on you will find that fat consumption has decrease and carb consumption has increase. Correlation is not causation but at least it should be noted and looked at.

A great source of info on the low-carb life style is Dr. Mike Eades's blog and books(Protein Power Lifeplan) and Art De Vany's blog is also great, unfortunately he recently when commercial and is charging for access to his private blog. Art is quite the interesting guy, he is 70 something and has a body of a 30 something. Also Jimmy Moore's blog is also very good.

RobD,

Thanks for citing against the AMA, US Surgeon General, and the USRDA on their research on what is required in our diets! You and Dr. Atkins are incredible--not!

Carbs do get turned into sugar eventually for energy but with refined or simple it happens very quickly vs. whole grains the process occurs slowly over time (like our body needs it).

Carbs and PROTEIN as well can very easily turn to fat if not utilized by the body. Remember quite simply: 3,500 calories = 1 lb of body weight. Lose it or gain it...you figure it out...it's not rocket science! Eat fat free foods, they still have calories. Eat high protein foods, they still have calories...the same goes for high fat foods. The problem with Atkins is that he advocates high fat foods over over a complex carbohydrate. You do your homework and look online and see the people who have almost died on that diet! All so he can live the high life!

Unfortunately you are citing from people who use unscientific methods, are charging (as are most of these short-lived diet experts do) and you're being fooled buy short term 1960's statistics.

I was not attacking you, nor did I suggest any Olympic-style training routine. Push-ups, pullups are not a balanced workout routine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eliminating an entire food group is not balanced and you will soon discover the effects of eating the high fat foods that the Atkins Diet proclaims (like fried bacon, fatty burgers and such) that you fail to mention in your citation in your article will cause your body to do. If you're not eating that crap then congrats to you!!

I am suggesting that people follow the nutrition plan of a qualified nutritionist and exercise, rest, reduce stress (extremely important to the body) and one of the things I forgot to mention is to train with a Heart Rate Monitor. Know your Target Heart Hate and your Maximum Heart Rate and know how long to maintain your Target. That's how to achieve results in cardiovascular fitness/weight loss. If you have any questions of this RobD ask your cardiologist about 220 - age = Max HR. He will verify what I am saying. Your Training Heart Rate depends on your level of ability and your doctor's recommendations but is usually 70 to 85% of the Max HR.

Your body also needs training in several other muscle groups than you are training in push ups and pullups. Nothing for the core? No back training? No calves, hamstrings, quadraceps...?

Fitness is a wonderful thing! I am guessing that your bodyfat was done by caliper or electronic induction means? That can be way, way off. Go to a college and get a hydrostatic test if it's that important to you. Bodyfat however is not that important a factor. It's just simply a factor.

I have done research. You are the one who needs to do some research. I have been training and maintaining my lifesyle for over 28 years. I've gone from bodybuilding, to strength training to an emphasis in cardiovascular fitness but always with the emphasis on being healthy.

workoutone,

I'm not going to argue that working out is not a good thing. My contention is that it is not necessary to lose weight. On a low-carb diet that drives insulin low the body is put into a fat burning mode that does not require exercise to maintain. Many obese people do not have the ability, time or inclination to work out as you do and therefore do not lose fat consistently on a regular low-calorie diet. The hart monitor and target heart rate is all fine stuff but for the typical obese person is not going to be able to do it. It is just not realistic. As for me, as I said earlier I don't need to do it and maintain my heath. Again all my tests are normal or better so why would I need it?

As to what is the best long term dietary program I would contend that the one that our ancestors followed for millions of years has a better long term track record then something developed by some bureaucrats in Washington in the last fifty years. For instance they said saturated fat was bad for you then they said all fat is bad and know they say, well some types of fat are good and oh and by the way those great trans-fats that we were telling you were so much better then those nasty saturated fats well those are really really bad for you. Heh, most of the population has been following the USRDA all the way to the fat farm.

I did not say the protein and dietary fat can not be converted to body fat. I said that in the absence of insulin it is very hard for the body to store fat. The nutrient that stimulates the body to produce insulin the most is carbohydrates. Insulin drives fat storage and carbohydrates drive insulin production.

You pretty much state that there is no difference between a calorie of fat, protein and carbs. That assumes that the body processes each type of calorie the same. That is no ware near the case. Carbs, even complex ones are converted easily to sugar while protein and fat require many steps of digestion and manipulation to become usable to the cells as energy. Also protein and fat consumption promote satiety and carbs do not. It is very easy to do a low-calorie low-carb diet because you don't get the sugar rushes and crashes typical of a low-calorie high carb diet. In almost every study done that compares a true low-carb diet to any other low-calorie diet the low-carb diet consistently produces better results in fat lose and compliance.

What you do is great and more power to you but like I said most people can't or won't and a low-carb diet has been shown to be a viable and safe option. Even the ADA has come out recently and said that low-carb is an option for weight lose.

I've read several articles on Cocaine abuse. All of the article say the use of cocaine blocks your hunger cravings. Is there substance in Cocaine that could be chemically subtracted and used a a deteriorate to eating. When I watch America's Most Wanted. It seems 90% of the crack and cocaine users are skinny. If every one had access to these recreational drugs, I wonder, if we could cure the obesity problem? With out causing another more serious problem. Decriminalizing recreational drugs would eliminate the drug dealers and therefore the crimes. Seems like the users on TV are totally happy, until the police show up.

RobD,

Last comment.

All your tests are normal or better? Like Cardiac Ejection Fraction? Cardiac Enzymes, blood lypids, treadmill stress test or thalium? Did they do an ultrasound as well where they can actually see inside the heart (valves, arteries, etc.,)? I seriously doubt if all those things are "better than normal on a 45 year old man" if you do no aerobic exercise. That's the equivalent of me (a 48 year old man) running a 5:00 mile) without any training whatsoever. I suppose it's possible, but highly improbable. It's like saying I can bench press 500 lbs without ever working out my chest...absolutely insane!

Blood pressure, cholesterol and general health screening blood work are hardly good indicators of good cardiac health.

I never, ever once suggested a low fat, low calorie diet--never ever once!!! I said balanced diet, exercise, rest and do your best to reduce stress! I also suggested using a heart rate monitor for safety and to monitor your progress.

Things like portion control, eating smaller meals throughout the day to keep that insulin level stable throughout the day (as you talk about) and not eating big meals before going to bed are all very easy changes to help obese people lose weight. Drinking water helps as well--we're over 90% water you know.

Humans have not been on earth Millions of years, but I get your point...we are much more sedentary than our ancestors. Our portions have over tripled in size since the 1960's (in restaurants and food packaging) and we drive to our neighbor's house. The phrase "can't do it and don't have time for exercise" are just excuses. We all need to make time to take car of ourselves.

Leaving out exercise...ESPECIALLY AEROBIC EXERCISE is a huge mistake!

You will never change my mind on that! The heart is the most important muscle in the body.

Obese people can exercise. I have helped many, many, many obese people exercise. Walking, moving their arms, lifting their legs, bending their knees, ankles, shoulders and on and on until they are able to do the things like walk very slowly on a treadmill (holding the rails). When you're patient, one day, that obese person won't be obese anymore. He or she will be walking very fast (or maybe running on that treadmill)! So proud and happy not to be on a "DIET" but to have a new "LIFESTYLE"!!

ATKINS IS A FAD DIET PERIOD!!!

Too many people have been hurt by it's pseudo-science!

Signed,

Workoutone

My scrolling finger is getting a nice exercise

I'm in the Marine Corps infantry and I eat what I want. It usually includes pizza, desserts, and fast food. My body fat percentage is under 10%.

Why? I run. All the time. Hard.

I was overweight only one time in my life. I gained 50 pounds while pregnant and only lost 20 pounds after the birth. I also began having seizures while pregnant and was put on dilantin after the birth.

For me, dilantin had the side effect of making me lose interest in food. I literally did not think of food, it's not that I didn't like food, I just had no desire for it. If you put food in front of me I would eat it, otherwise it seemed to have no function in my life. I could go several days without eating. Often times I had to stop and try to remember when I had last eaten, knowing that for my health I should shovel something into my mouth. A year and 40 pounds of weight loss later the doctor switched me to another anti seizure drug and before I was fully weaned off of dilantin the natural desire for food returned.

If I could bottle what that drug did to my brain I would be rich.

Obesity is a sad excuse for a disease...excercise and willpower are waaaaay more healthy than some drug.

Do what RobD does, and throw in some bike riding. Or buy the perfect push up and pull up and do as much as you can do. Thats about it, you dont need to run hardcore or have a whole body strentgh training regiment just to lose weight. But having one definately increases your ability to replace weight lost in fat with some muscle. I eat as much as I want, bordering on fast food 4-5 days a week and my body just takes it as fuel for a harder workout. I get stronger and my body weight stays within the same 10 lb range, but that was over the summer when i was actually working out. The last time i worked out was 2 weeks ago and i gained 5 lbs since august even with the shoveling of food in my mouth. My blood tests and pressure are normal but im sure all the unhealthy food has done something that tests wont be able to show, but I manage. I'm 18 so I can imagine that my metabolism is already higher but it still dosen't take much effort to change what you eat.

Wow as the author mentioned amylin of San Diego I'm suprised they did not mention Lorcaserin being developed by Arena Pharma also a San Diego company.

Lorcaserin is a phase three drug who's data will be released in a few weeks. Second phase three the company has done prior to submitting to the FDA. Well over three thousand involved in their study.

Previous trials were positive.

Everybody should stop writing such long comments... who can read all that?

Ummm what about fat pills?