FDA Approves New Weight Loss Drug, Qsymia

The FDA has officially approved two new weight loss drugs for carefully controlled use among overweight and obese Americans with a BMI of 30 and above (or 27 and higher if they currently suffer from an existing weight-related condition such as hypertension or diabetes). This is exciting news in the world of weight loss because diet pills rarely make it to market due to the inherent risks involved with the targeted consumer. Before Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate) and Belviq (lorcaserin) were approved this past month, the last diet pill to go to market was Xenical (orlistat) in 1999.

Qsymia, Vivus Inc.’s drug that was pushed through this week, is a combination of two existing drugs: an appetite-suppressing stimulant, and an anti-seizure medication that has been shown to promote satiety.

Although this sounds like a promising way to shed pounds, diet drugs come with a wave of controversy and significant questions about safety.

If an individual is artificially suppressing his appetite and increasing his satiety as Qsymia intends, then three key issues arise:

1. Why/how would the user ever learn to eat healthy foods that can actually do these things naturally?

2. Why would the user ever learn to avoid the sugary, refined carbs and salty foods that promote continual binging and overconsumption?

3. Why would the user ever deal with the emotional and psychological issues that truly underlie an individual’s poor eating habits?

If a drug can take care of the “hard” stuff, then the individual never learns to tackle the fundamental cause behind excess weight head-on. Obesity aside, what about the other dangers associated with poor diet and lifestyle? What about cancer and heart disease? Weight loss should be, needs to be, a learning process. As you’re losing weight, you have to learn how to healthfully maintain your new size.

If someone is going to use a weight loss pill to assist their weight loss process, it must be in conjunction with some form of weight loss program, or provision of education/guidance/counseling for diet and exercise.

For many, weight loss can seem an insurmountable hurdle, but after years in the healthcare industry, I’ve found that if you give someone a pill, they often stop trying.

Best case scenario, this new drug can help an overweight or obese individual jump start weight loss, but then comes the rest. The approval of Qsymia is not going to make a huge impact on the obesity epidemic as a whole but some people may find it helpful.

The Weight of the Nation: An Unstoppable Obesity Epidemic

The HBO series Weight of the Nation recently debuted in a four-part, eye-opening account of the obesity epidemic sweeping the globe. HBO partnered with the Institute of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health, along with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente to emphasize the catastrophic effects of obesity and its alarming rise since 1980.

As a health professional, it’s difficult to watch individuals struggle with their weight, but it is hardly a rare occurrence these days. Although obesity is a bigger issue in low-income communities and is more likely to affect minorities, personal battles with food overconsumption does not discriminate, affecting Americans of all backgrounds.

Research from the Bogalusa Heart Study conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, reveals that 77% of obese children become obese adults. This is a staggering statistic that highlights the need to stop the problem before it gets out of hand. Parents and community leaders would be wise to teach children to make good choices when it comes to their health and well-being. Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative has brought awareness to the issue, but it’s only a step in the right direction. More needs to be done.

Marketing and advertising play a significant role in childhood obesity, nudging children towards processed foods and sugar sugar sugar. Government subsidies allow Big Agriculture and top manufacturers to aggressively market products to children and turn them into sugar-fat-salt-addicts before they are old enough to form their own opinions.

Our culture of capitalism means that wealthy companies can afford to market their products, despite health consequences. This is just one part of the overall problem, but it’s not right that children are subjected to endless advertisements for sugary cereals, soda, and unhealthy convenience food without seeing an equal number of ads supporting healthier options. Where is the balance? Kids will never learn to eat right and prioritize health if they are constantly bombarded with messages encouraging unhealthy behaviors.

Check out Weight of the Nation to learn more about the national obesity epidemic, rising health care costs, and the future of health in our country. It’s scary stuff.

Georgia's Stop Childhood Obesity Ad Campaign

If you haven’t yet seen a clip from Georgia’s haunting childhood obesity ad campaign, check it out here.

In perhaps the most persuasive call to action to address childhood obesity in recent years, the state of Georgia unveiled a series of stark public service announcements meant to raise awareness and highlight the negative consequences of excess pounds for children. Every time I watch this one, my heart breaks for the little boy.The individual advertisements vary in their storylines but each one concludes with the harsh one-liner: STOP SUGARCOATING IT, GEORGIA.

Children in Georgia suffer from obesity at disproportionately high rates (40% of kids in the state qualify as overweight or obese versus the national average of 17%). But whose fault is it really? Food deserts, a global recession, and hearty southern cooking contribute to a diet of convenient food and a serious lack of nutritious vegetables and whole grains. Combine these eating habits with overweight parents who lead by example, and it’s no wonder childhood obesity has escalated into an epidemic.

But, are these ads effective marketing tools? Do they raise awareness about childhood obesity or merely overstate a known issue?

Lastly, do the ads demonize Georgians by suggesting that parents of obese kids are “bad” parents?

Click here to learn more about childhood obesity. Education is the first step towards prevention.