Is Contrave the best “WEIGHT LOSS” drug?

It looks like the ideal drug for weight loss is just around the corner. Contrave has received approval from the FDA for use in the USA in the near future. Contrave is a combination of the anti depressant, bupropion and the anti addiction drug, naltrexone.

Unlike all previous drugs, contrave has no affect on the belly, waist or hips. It works where it matters- in the brain. It has been shown in experimental studies that the drug suppresses the appetite center and helps burn of excess energy.

Bupropion has been around for many years and it is well known that people who use this drug often complain of initial weight loss. However, with bupropion, this initial weight loss is only transient and is soon regained. This is where the addition of naltrexone may help. It is now believed that naltrexone continues to suppress the appetite center and food intake is reduced. While all this sounds great in medical journals and in rats, does the darn combination work in humans?

The drug has been extensively tested in obese people. A large study in obese people compared contrave to exercise and diet counseling. At the end of 1 year, only 60 percent of people remained in the study. Those people who only undertook exercise and diet control lost anywhere from 6-16 pounds in weight over 12 months. In comparison, people who took contrave did excellent. The average weight loss was more than 15% of the body weight, which averaged close to 20-25 pounds in 12 months.

The side effects of contrave included headaches, constipation and nausea. These side effects were common early and easily managed with time. Very few of the patients on contrave suffered emotional side effects like depression or anxiety. In fact most reported feeling good about themselves.

Definitely, this drug works and there was no mucking around with different diet plans because the people just did not feel hungry.

Now the FDA is re-looking at all the side effects, especially on the heart, to make sure that the drug manufacturer is not hiding any negative data. If all things are clear, contrave should be in your corner pharmacy on Jan 31, 2011. 

The recommended dose of contrave is two 8 mg naltrexone/90 mg bupropion tablets taken twice a day. When first starting, the dose will be one tablet per week and gradually increased. The only negative about contrave- the pill is not going to come cheap and you have to take it for a whole year. So save up on your vacation to Disney this year and next year when you are slim, trim and gorgeous- you can go to the Bahamas and flaunt the body you have always wanted.

Lorcaserin is banned by the FDA

Lorcaserin is a weight loss drug developed by Arena pharmaceuticals. The drug is claimed to be an effective weight loss drug but the FDA just rejected its approval for use in USA.

Lorcaserin was tested in the laboratory and shown to be an effective  appetite suppression agent in animals. Clinical trials conducted by Arena pharmaceuticals revealed that the medication could help individuals lose an average of 4-8 pounds over 12 weeks. However, upon discontinuation of the medication, the lost weight was quickly regained. Subsequent studies confirmed that the drug could help obese patients rapidly lose weight but concern for its safety were raised during the trials.

The most common side effects were a headache, upper respiratory tract infections, sinusitis, depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety. Moreover, other studies revealed that the drug was associated with cancer in rats.

There is also question that the drug may harm the heart.

When studies conducted by Arena were carefully reviewed by the FDA, it appeared that the weight loss was only marginal. The reason for the discrepancy is that Arena Pharmaceuticals had sponsored most of the previous investigations and thus, the drug was made to appear great. While experts from Arena continue to argue that the Lorcaserin is safe, the FDA has made it clear that the drug will not be available in the USA.

For the time being, eating less and more exercise is still the safest and most effective way to lose weight.

Can pole dancing help me lose weight?

First the facts- any type of exercise is better than no exercise. Secondly, have you ever seen a pole dancing female who is heavy? We have become a society where everyone seems to think that joining a gym is the only way you lose weight. This is a myth of gigantic proportions which has gotten bigger because of the so called fitness experts who know a lot about machines but have very little about common sense.

Even simple walking for 30 minutes twice a day can lead to weight loss. If you dance on a pole or even belly dance, it is considered to be an exercise, moreover if you enjoy doing it, go for it. The majority of exercises recommended by fitness experts are monotonous, dull and most people quickly drop out. So do an exercise that you like and this way you will remain motivated.

Pole dancing is a great way to lose weight which is evident by all the trim sexy girls who perform this tantalizing art form. One can lose the same number of calories during pole dancing as one would if one was to ride a bike or go jogging. However the important question is how often you perform the dancing. To get the best results, one should perform the pole dancing at least 3-4 times a week. And the more you do it, the greater the weight loss.

To improve your stamina, add some type of aerobic exercise to your routine and eat healthy. And if you are a great pole dancer, you will also end up making a lot of money- so go shake up the world

Can Calcium supplements help decrease one lose weight?

Besides diet plans, surgery and drugs, consumers have been indulging in a variety of dietary supplements to help lose weight. Over the years, many nutrients, herbs, and supplements have been advocated as aids for weight loss. Of course, none has ever worked. One other dietary supplement that has been hyped up as a weight loss agent is calcium. It is known that calcium does prevent fat accumulation in the laboratory and thus some clinical researchers have been advocating calcium supplements to prevent additional weight and fat.

There are many anecdotal reports about calcium and its ability to induce weight loss. Further, many health firms and vendors of calcium also make exaggerated claims about calcium as a weight loss agent. Up to now, no controlled or randomized studies had been undertaken to look at the effects of calcium on weight loss.

Finally, now there is a randomized study that has investigated the role of dietary calcium in obese individuals. Individuals took close to 1500mg/day of calcium for 2 years and the results were compared to a placebo. The results of this randomized study have just been published in the June issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (Ann Intern Med. 2009; 150:821-829).

At a single clinical center, 340 overweight adults were randomly assigned to receive calcium carbonate or placebo for 2 years. Overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to less than 30 kg/m2 and obese as a BMI of 30 kg/m2or more.

More than ¾ of participants completed the study. The results showed that there was zero difference between calcium and placebo in decreasing fat or inducing weight loss. In fact, calcium did not induce any weight loss.

The researchers concluded that "Dietary supplementation with elemental calcium, 1500 mg/d, for 2 years had no statistically or clinically significant effects on weight in overweight and obese adults," Further it was stated that "Calcium supplementation is unlikely to have clinically significant efficacy as a preventive measure against weight gain in such patients."

Even though the study has a few limitations, the data are clear-cut- Calcium may help prevent osteoporosis but does diddly squat for weight loss.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704615

Drugs for weight loss: Part 5

Follow-up therapy

The idea about treating obesity should be understood in the overall context of medical health. Treating obesity means one treats numerous potential risk factors and preventable disease at one time. Obesity is the genesis of a whole lot of other potential problems.

One of the major complaints most individuals have after using drugs to lose weight is that they re-gain the weight once they stop taking the medications. This suggests that further therapy with nutritional and behavioral therapy is essential to help maintain the initial weight loss. The drugs do provide a boost but they are not enough to cure the problem.

After 30 years of trying drug treatment therapy for weight loss, most experts believe that drug therapy alone is not adequate to control the obesity mania. It is unlikely that a perfect magical drug for losing weight will ever be developed and even if the drug is developed, it will not be the magic pill. Diet and exercise will always be the corner store therapy for weight control.

Drugs probably will end up being most beneficial to people who have a genetic propensity to being overweight. The majority of people who are obese today are as a direct consequence of their lifestyle and nothing to do with their genetics. These people better start walking and eating more vegetables.

The history of drugs for weight loss has taught us something- that these drugs have potent side effects and their long term complications are unpredictable. So far, drugs have not had a bigger success and have always come out on the shorter end in comparison to the food industry campaigns of “supersize”.

The last 30 years has seen a major erosion of our life style. We have abundance of food, which is cheap, readily available and the concept of supersize is now ingrained in us. We are always looking at how to make our lives easier with energy saving methods. A sedentary lifestyle is now a major preoccupation of more than 70% of North Americans. Even simple walking around the block has now become a burden for majority of individuals. New drugs may be another treatment for obesity but they will never be a replacement for a drastic change in our life style. Drugs will help lose a few pounds but beyond that, it is going to take a lot of hard work and exercise.

Drugs for weight loss: Part 4

Using other off label drugs

Other unorthodox weight loss experts claim that other not recommended drugs may also help in the weight loss program. These drugs are not approved for use in obesity. These drugs include thyroxin, diuretics and the anti diabetic agent, metformin.

The anti diabetic drug, metformin is an effective weight loss reducing agent and has been used by non diabetic individuals. However, in non diabetic individuals, the drug can cause profound drop in blood sugar and lead to coma. Thus daily blood glucose monitoring is mandatory.

The antidepressant bupropion (Wellbutrin) has also been associated with weight loss. When the drug is prescribed to patients with depression, weight loss has been a noticeable side effect.

Temporary weight loss can also occur with diuretics and thyroid hormone. However, these drugs have potent side effects but still are frequently abused by athletes and boxers.

Results

There is no doubt that no matter what weight loss drug is prescribed, most patients will initially lose 5-10% of their starting body weight. This is significantly more than any conventional behavior modifying treatments. The most important rule for success is that individuals have to have realistic goals. Setting sights at losing 10-15% of body weight in a year is reasonable but the majority of individuals are unrealistic and loose hope after a few months. For the physicians, it is essential to educate patient on a reasonable amount of weight loss. Physicians who promote 25-50% weight loss in a year are setting up all patients for failure.

Most weight loss experts now feel that it is essential to help patients lose 3-10% of body weight. Results indicate that medications plus aggressive life style changes can produce dramatic results. An important part of that strategy includes educating patients to stay on low-calorie, low-fat maintenance diets and continue to exercise. While losing 3-5% of the body weight may not sound too impressive and may not be the patient’s goal, these results combined with life style changes have shown a significant reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.