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| Phentermine - A name you can trust |
| 07.30.06 (9:27 pm) [edit] |
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Weight control is not just a problem for those who are highly overweight or obese but everybody needs to be conscious about it. Today, it is a huge problem and is affecting the societies and masses at large. Weight control is not just a problem for those who are highly overweight or obese but everybody needs to be conscious about it. Today, it is a huge problem and is affecting the societies and masses at large. If we take example of US itself, more than 40% of the adult population has been categorized as overweight or obese. Obesity has taken shape of an epidemic and has engulfed people from all age groups, children to old people. According to Health department in US, obesity is included in the top ten diseases which are having serious impact on health of the people in the country. Also, obesity is the highest contributor to the healthcare costs. We seriously need to have an answer to this problem of obesity before it takes a severe shape. People try various methods like diet control, work-outs and exercises, but there has not been anything more successful than weight loss diet pills. Diet pills have provided a major breakthrough in helping to control the weight effectively. These diet pills act as appetite suppressant and are responsible in curtailing the intake of calories. Phentermine is amongst the most commonly used diet pills. Over a period of time is has become immensely popular because of is high success rate. A lot of obese people have trusted Phentermine and have been benefited. Before getting started with diet pills, it is essential for you to share your medical history with the doctor which would enable him to prescribe the most suitable option. Diet pills like Phentermine are quite easily accessible and one can buy it from any of the authorized pharmacy stores. The most convenient and the best way to buy Phentermine would be to order it through an online pharmacy. Prior to making a buying decision about Phentermine it is advisable to go through the information related to its usage, side affects, reviews of existing users to avoid any kind of problem later on. To achieve consistent positive results for a longer time, it is recommended to combine the usage of diet pills with healthy low-fat food and regular exercises. If taken in the correct manner and discipline diet pills can create wonders and help you achieve the desired shape and free you from the worries of obesity and related ailments. For more info about diet pills visit: http://dietpillsonline.blog.c... and http://dietpillsonline.blogsp... News Source: http://www.24-7pressrelease.c...
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| Weight Loss Pills - Do They Really Help People Lose Weight? |
| 07.26.06 (1:40 am) [edit] |
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Josh Bezoni is no stranger to weight loss pills. Not only has he used them to lose weight himself, he has coached thousands of overweight people in their efforts to achieve the slim bodies they desire. "Nearly all overweight people want to know whether or not weight loss pills really work," says Bezoni. "I get this question all the time because so many people have tried to lose weight with diet pills and failed to get the results that were promised." In fact, Bezoni has discovered that it's not at all uncommon for a person to try three or four different options before finding one that works. Sometimes a person won't see results fast enough and will give up prematurely. And yet Bezoni says some weight loss pills do indeed work.
"Many of the ingredients in the best diet pills have been researched and proven to work in clinical studies conducted by scientists," says Bezoni. "When you're dealing with a reputable company, they won't make claims that can't be backed up by science."
So why do some people still fail to achieve results? Bezoni believes it's because of one of two reasons.
Reason #1: Many fly-by-night companies enter the supplement business with only one intent: to take as much money as possible from unsuspecting consumers before vanishing without a trace.
Does this kind of thing really happen? Bezoni says yes. "The body transformation industry is one of the oldest in America. Shady businessmen were hawking their magic pills and elixirs over a hundred years ago. Back then they were called quacks. Today they're called con artists. Before you ever buy a supplement, you need to make sure you know who you're dealing with."
Reason #2: Many people want to lose weight without making any positive lifestyle changes. They want fast results, but they don't want to reduce their caloric intake, eat healthier foods, or start a regular exercise routine.
"Sometimes weight loss pills can get rid of fat even if a person does nothing else to try to lose weight. But the fact is, it's the people who start exercising or change their diets while taking a supplement who get the best results. Diet pills are not a one-shot magic bullet. But they can accelerate weight loss when combined with other positive health changes."
Bezoni always encourages his clients to implement a healthy eating and activity program in conjunction with weight loss supplements.
Josh Bezoni has a double major in Biology and Nutrition from The Central University of Iowa with an emphasis in pre-med. Before starting his own company, Bezoni was a research scientist for Bill Phillips, founder of EAS and author of the New York Times Best Selling book Body-for-LIFE.
In 1999, Bezoni started Global Nutrition Sciences, a research-based dietary supplement company located in Arvada, Colorado, just outside of Denver. For 15 years, he has been actively involved in helping people lose weight with goal setting, proper nutrition, exercise, and scientifically designed weight loss supplements. For more info on diet pills visit: http://dietpillsonline.blogsp..., http://dietpillsonline.blog.c... News Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases...
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| What Is Alli? |
| 07.23.06 (9:45 pm) [edit] |
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Alli (pronounced "ally") is the brand name that has been given to low-dose Xenical (orlistat), the first drug in a new class of non-systemically acting anti-obesity drugs known as lipase inhibitors. Orlistat, which has been marketed in the United States as a prescription weight loss medication since 1999, works in your intestines where it blocks some of the fat you eat from being absorbed and digested. This undigested fat is then removed in your bowel movements. Absorption of fat is decreased by about 30 percent. Since undigested triglycerides are not absorbed, the reduced caloric intake may have a positive effect on weight control. While Xenical was developed by Roche, the rights to market Ally as a half-dose over-the-counter drug were acquired in July 2004 by GlaxoSmithKline. The two companies subsequently announced an agreement in April 2005 under which GlaxoSmithKline would market and promote prescription Xenical in the United States as well. If Alli is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over-the-counter sale, Glaxo intends to market it as the only FDA-endorsed weight-loss drug available without a prescription. The most common side effects of prescription strength Xenical are oily spotting, gas with discharge, fecal urgency, fatty/oily stools and frequent bowel movements. All evidence suggests that these same side-effects exist with half-strength Alli. While a number of medical experts have expressed concern over the potential for abuse of an over-the-counter form of orlistat, Dr. Howard Eisenson of Duke University has expressed the opinion that Alli's unpleasant side effects should "limit the potential for abuse." Glaxo also is proposing that over-the-counter sales of Alli be restricted to adults 18 and over in an effort to curb misuse by teenagers. Purchasers may be asked to present a driver's license in order to purchase Alli, just as they do to buy alcohol or cigarettes. The name Alli was chosen by Glaxo to indicate that the drug, to be effective, must be allied with a weight-loss program. Glaxo's plan is that consumers who purchase Alli will also get a guide offering exercise tips, a healthy eating guide, and a fat and calories gram counter. Glaxo is also expected to offer a free behavioral support program on the internet. Glaxo's Steven L. Burton said studies showed that the over-the-counter dose of Xenical of 60 milligrams, taken thrice daily, enabled people to lose about 80 to 85 percent of the weight lost by those taking the prescription 120-milligram dose. At the 2005 Annual Meeting of NAASO, The Obesity Society in Vancouver, British Columbia, results were presented of a study that compared half-dose Xenical plus diet to placebo plus diet in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 28. In the 16-week study, low-dose Xenical patients on average lost 5 percent of their baseline weight and while those receiving a placebo but following the same diet guidelines on average lost 3.3 percent.
Safety and tolerability of 60 mg orlistat in this study was similar to that observed in previous studies in a more overweight population. For more info on diet pills visit: http://dietpillsonline.blogsp..., http://dietpillsonline.blog.c... Source: http://www.allireport.com/Wha...
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| Healthy Weight Loss Begins With Support, Guidance |
| 07.22.06 (1:26 am) [edit] |
Obesity is one of the most widespread issues today. For the very first time in history, a United Nations survey found that the total number of overweight people all over the world rivals the total number of underweight people. According to the World Health Organization, obesity is now regarded as an increasing global epidemic, and if steps are not taken immediately, millions of people worldwide will suffer from a wide range of weight related health issues.
Part of this worldwide problem exists within the societal avoidance of issues that evolve around weight loss, obesity and dieting. Those individuals with weight problems feel isolated and helpless, not wanting to turn to family and friends due to embarrassment and not having access to a supportive and non-judgmental community. These are the very reasons that Tincap.com exists -- to fill a much needed void, offering advice, guidance and peer-to-peer community support. Tincap.com provides a fun and interactive community for members who really want to succeed and need help reaching their goals.
A ‘Healthy in 30 Days’ contest has been announced at Tincap.com, and it promises to be fun, challenging and results-oriented. Anyone can enter the contest free of charge until August 31, 2006. There is nothing to purchase and no gimmicks apply here. During the registration period, Tincap.com will provide each participant with a free personalized web blog. The official contest will kick off on September 1, 2006 and run for the entire month of September. Participants can use their personal web blog on Tincap.com to record their progress during the challenge including food consumption, daily exercise, and pounds lost.
The member who has worked hardest to achieve a healthy lifestyle during the month by exercising regularly, eating right and losing weight wins the contest and $100 cash. There are also awesome runner-up prizes including t-shirts, backpacks and more. However, there are no losers in this contest; with the biggest winners of all being those members that achieve their fitness and weight loss goals for the month and then continue to live a healthy life long after the contest ends.
for more info on diet pills visit: http://dietpillsonline.blogsp..., http://dietpillsonline.blog.c... News Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases...
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| Gastric-Bypass Surgery Best for Super Obese: Study |
| 07.19.06 (12:34 am) [edit] |
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Obesity surgery has become increasingly popular, but deciding on the right procedure can be a tough choice. Now, a new study suggests that for extremely heavy patients, gastric-bypass surgery may have fewer complications, a greater reduction in obesity-related diseases, and more weight loss when compared with so-called gastric banding. The researchers compared laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, which involves sectioning off a small portion of the stomach into a pouch that bypasses the first part of the small intestine and connects directly to the lower portions, with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. This procedure calls for surgeons to place a band-like device around the stomach, dividing the stomach into two smaller compartments. "We wanted to find the most effective procedure, not necessarily the least invasive one," said lead researcher Dr. George S. Ferzli, from the department of surgery at the State University of New York Health Science Center of Brooklyn. "In the super obese, the bypass was much more effective, in terms of outcomes, weight loss and reduction of morbidities," Ferzli added. In their study, the researchers evaluated the records of 106 patients who had one of the two procedures. All the patients had a body-mass index (BMI) above 50. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal; a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight; and obesity begins with a BMI of 30 or above. Sixty of the patients in the study had gastric banding, and 46 underwent gastric bypass. The researchers found that after 30 days, 78 percent of the patients who had gastric banding suffered complications, including dehydration and vomiting, compared with 28 percent of those who underwent gastric bypass surgery. And gastric banding patients recorded less weight loss: a BMI decrease of 9.8 points, compared with 26.5 for patients who had gastric bypass. Moreover, almost 80 percent of the gastric bypass patients were very satisfied, and none was dissatisfied with or regretted having had the procedure. In contrast, only 46 percent of gastric banding patients were very satisfied, 35 percent said they were satisfied and 10 patients reported dissatisfaction or regret. The findings are published in the July issue of the Archives of Surgery. When it comes to choosing between the two procedures, Ferzli believes much depends on the patient's eating habits. Since the band allows liquids to pass through to the stomach, it may not be the best procedure for those who can't control their eating after surgery, he said. On the other hand, some super-obese patients have medical problems that may prohibit them from undergoing a bypass, Ferzli said. For these patients, banding -- which is less invasive -- may be the best choice, he said. "Postoperative support, nutritional follow-up and psychological follow-up is as important as the surgery itself," Ferzli added. Another expert thinks the choice of procedures should be based on the patient's perception of acceptable risk. "This study corroborates other studies comparing these procedures," said Dr. Philip R. Schauer, president of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, and director of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute. "These are the two most common operations performed in the United States for weight loss," he added. However, Schauer believes the short follow-up with the patients in the study was a shortcoming. "How rapidly one loses weight is not that important," he said. "It [the study] does not say what the long-term results are. It does not say that gastric bypass results in superior weight loss, in the long term, compared to the band." Schauer also thinks there were too few patients in the study to come to definitive conclusions, particularly about the risks of the procedures and their complication rates. "Both operations result in significant weight loss," Schauer said. "Gastric bypass has greater weight loss in the short term. This may mean that they have better long-term weight loss, but you can't tell that from this study." For more weight loss related info visit: http://dietpillsonline.blog.c... and http://dietpillsonline.blogsp... News Source: http://health.yahoo.com/news/...;_ylt=Al5JfPZLb2734CfH049 7Nc.z5xcB
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| Web Site Is a Prelude To Glaxo's OTC Weight-Loss Pill |
| 07.17.06 (12:10 am) [edit] |
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Awaiting approval from U.S. regulators to sell an over-the-counter diet pill called Alli, GlaxoSmithKline PLC has set out to establish itself as an online weight-loss authority, with a Web site that offers dieting tips and collects data and email addresses from consumers who visit. The move is one of the first by a pharmaceutical company to tap into the vibrant online community that has grown up around the weight-reduction industry. Glaxo's Pittsburgh, Pa.-based consumer health-care unit set up the site, QuestionEverything.com, in April and says its purpose is to offer peer support and professional advice to dieters and to "dispel the many myths about dieting, exercise and fraudulent weight loss products." QuestionEverything.com doesn't promote Alli: A spokeswoman says Glaxo will create a separate promotional site if it wins approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell Alli in the U.S. Glaxo licensed the U.S. over-the-counter rights to the drug, a lower-dose version of the prescription drug Xenical, which Switzerland's Roche Holding AG continues to market world-wide. The FDA asked United Kingdom-based Glaxo to provide more information about Alli in April. Glaxo says it hopes to begin selling the drug in the U.S. later this year. Anticipating the launch of a major weight-loss drug, Glaxo is keen to become known as a trusted source of weight-management information, the Glaxo spokeswoman says. And it has another interest in promoting healthy eating, some analysts note: Clinical trials indicate that people taking Alli experience fewer gastrointestinal side effects if they stick to a low-fat diet. Alli blocks the body's absorption of dietary fat, which results in flatulence and other unpleasant side effects. If it is cleared for sale, Alli would be the first FDA-approved OTC diet pill on the U.S. market. Diet-drug marketing is a minefield, with some popular products tripped up by safety issues and side effects. Wyeth's Redux and Pondimin, which constituted the fenfluramine portion of the once popular fen-phen diet combination, were taken off the market after being linked with heart-value problems, and Wyeth has paid out billions of dollars in legal settlements to users. Other products simply don't work that well. Marketing experts say Glaxo's site is a way for the pharmaceutical company -- the world's second-largest according to sales, behind Pfizer Inc. -- to test the market and prepare for the Alli launch. That includes gathering the email addresses and ages of individual consumers -- information prized by marketers. By watching how people use the site and reading the messages they post on its discussion board, Glaxo is likely to learn how to position Alli, says Barbara Bix, a marketing strategist at BB Marketing Plus, Boston, which isn't working on the Alli launch. And by putting the Glaxo name on a site offering sensible advice about diet and exercise, the company is starting a buzz among potential customers, which will be useful once it starts marketing the specific product, Ms. Bix and others say. The Glaxo spokeswoman says the company may contact Web site visitors, but only after Alli receives FDA approval. Even then, Glaxo says it plans to contact only those visitors replying that they want more information about an FDA-approved product. Other heavyweights of the diet industry -- Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, the Zone Diet, the South Beach Diet -- blur the line between advice and promotion with Web sites that plug products, offer advice and collect consumer data. An Internet search of the words "weight loss" or "diet pill" results in hundreds of sites and ads pitching everything from miracle dietary supplements to fat-melting hypnosis. The Internet weight-loss community is one of the most lively to emerge in recent years, as more and more consumers seek health information on the Web. Interest in new drug treatments appears to be especially high. There are dozens of sites devoted to Acomplia, a closely watched obesity drug whose approval is pending with the FDA. The sites, run by third parties and not by Acomplia's manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis SA of France, give updates on clinical trials for the drug and the likelihood of FDA approval. Another site, the Alli Report, published by Medical Week News Inc., tracks news on Glaxo's drug, including the formation of QuestionEverything.com. Glaxo has pledged to the FDA to promote Alli as part of a program of improved diet and exercise, to help make sure consumers don't form unrealistic expectations of it as a cure-all. The company has tested a similar approach with its antismoking gum Nicorette. A Web site, Nicorette.com, offers tips for coping with cravings, a "dependency quiz" and video clips from "coaches" who help people quit. Other drug companies use Web sites to promote specific pills to U.S. consumers, but they don't usually include such a wide variety of health and lifestyle advice. The QuestionEverything home page instructs visitors to "question everything you know about weight loss." The Web site features stylish graphics, including drawings of a svelte woman reading a label, and more than a dozen links that readers click to read about portion size, low-calorie cooking or organic food. The site also offers recipes, quizzes and discussion boards where visitors post tips. Before joining a discussion, visitors must register, giving their email address and date of birth. The site also asks for their first name, ZIP code and ethnic background. The site notes that Glaxo may "send you future communications on one or more of our brands," and that it will "refer to your information to better understand your needs...and how we can improve our products and services." The site itself makes no mention of the brand name Alli or any other Glaxo drug. The site does make a point of educating visitors about the pitfalls of dietary supplements, such as hoodia and bitter orange. It warns that dietary supplements aren't FDA-approved, which means they aren't held to rigorous safety and efficacy review. The site also instructs visitors how to report problems with dietary supplements to the FDA. Glaxo has hired a dietitian and a physiologist from the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program to respond to readers' questions. In one recent exchange, physiologist Richard Weil advised a reader on the relative merits of the Pilates technique versus jogging. In another, dietitian Betty Kovacs answered a visitor's query by posting a recipe for low-calorie mashed cauliflower. Mr. Weil says he works as a contractor for Glaxo, getting paid a fee for his advice. The physiologist says he sees a close link between dieters and the Web in his New York practice, where patients often bring in printouts from the Internet on weight-lifting or exercise programs. Mr. Weil praises QuestionEverything for offering readers access to professional advice that they might not otherwise get. The weight-loss tips readers give each other are sometimes "amateur," he adds, but he says the support they give each other is invaluable. "Oh girl...I feel your frustration," one reader recently replied to another complaining that healthy eating habits weren't resulting in weight loss. Peter Kreisky, a Boston media consultant unaffiliated with Glaxo, says QuestionEverything resembles a "piece of market research to find out about the way consumers talk about weight loss, the language they use and the things they're most concerned about." In particular, Glaxo is probably compiling a list of "key terms" that dieters use, he says. Companies buy "key terms" on search engines such as Google, to ensure that their site pops up at the top of the list of advertised sites. The Dallas interactive marketing agency IMC2 and the New York office of Arnold Worldwide helped Glaxo create the site. Communispace Corp. of Watertown, Mass., also advised Glaxo on the project. For more diet pills related information visit: http://dietpillsonline.blog.c... , http://dietpillsonline.blogsp... News Source: http://online.wsj.com/public/...
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| Glaxo awaits regulatory approval to market its diet pill Alli |
| 07.14.06 (10:42 pm) [edit] |
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GlaxoSmithKline PLC has gone online offering dieting tips as it awaits regulatory approval to market its diet pill Alli over-the-counter in the United States. The Wall Street Journal reports the British company's Web site called QuestionEvertyhing.com is designed to tap into the online community that has grown up around the weight-reduction industry. Glaxo's U.S. headquarters are in Philadelphia. Glaxo says the Web site's purpose is to offer peer support and professional advice to dieters and to "dispel the many myths about dieting, exercise and fraudulent weight loss products." The Web site does not promote Alli. A company spokesman told the Journal Glaxo will create a separate promotional site should it win FDA's approval to sell Alli. In anticipation of the approval, the spokesman said Glaxo is keen to become known as a trusted source of weight-management information. News Source: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/...
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| Once-a-day pill for AIDS treatment |
| 07.09.06 (10:38 pm) [edit] |
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The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approved a single once-a-day pill for AIDS treatment later this week A ones a day single treatment AIDS treatment is expected to be available soon. The pill will combine three different drugs by two companies. The pill will be a huge leap forward in the simplicity of treatment, say experts. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to approve the new pill within the next several weeks. They have until October to make a decision, but with government support, they are expecting a much sooner decision. The new drug is a combination of drugs now on the market -- Sustiva sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Truvada, sold by Gilead Sciences. Truvada is a combination of two Gilead drugs, Viread and Emtriva. The companies have not revealed the new drug's price, but have suggested it will cost roughly the same as Sustiva and Truvada bought separately, about $1,200 a month.
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| Do herbal diet pills really work? |
| 07.04.06 (10:39 pm) [edit] |
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Obesity is expected to overtake smoking as the main cause of avoidable deaths in the next decade, according to a recent House of Commons report. Many people find it hard to lose excess weight, so it's unsurprising that the market for slimming supplements is worth £50million. Herbal slimming pills — claiming to be 'natural' — may sound particularly appealing. But do they work? It was reported last week that one supplement, Zotrim, helped people to lose weight even if they weren't dieting. But some experts are questioning the results. Zotrim contains extracts of South American herbs (mate, guarana and damiana), and it is thought to make you feel fuller for longer after eating. In one scientific study, ultrasound scans showed that people on Zotrim took 20 minutes longer to empty their stomach, making them feel more satisfied from their last meal. The latest Zotrim research was presented at the British Dietetic Association's annual conference. Independent dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton reported her findings on a study involving 87 health workers (mainly female) aged 18 to 70. Some 68 completed the study, losing an average of 2.1kg (4.6lb) in six weeks. They reduced their waist circumference by 3.6cm (1.4in). Most participants were obese before the study, with an average BMI of 30.58. After six weeks, their BMI fell to 29.58. A month after the trial, Dr Ruxton reassessed the women. She said: "Most of them stabilised or lost more weight — about 1.5lb. A supplement such as Zotrim can boost a dieter's confidence and inspire them to make changes, both of which can help against obesity. "However, a supplement pill should be seen only as an extra tool. For long-term weight control, a sensible diet and exercise programme must be the principal way." So, is Zotrim the magic pill for which dieters have been waiting? "The weight loss in this trial isn't significant as far as we are concerned," says Claire MacEvilly, a nutritionist from the MRC Human Nutrition Research in Cambridge. You need to reduce body weight by 10 per cent to see any clinical effects such as changes in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and triglyceride levels, which can increase the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease. The fact that this trial saw a 2.6 per cent reduction of weight at week six and 3.3 per cent at week ten is, therefore, unimpressive. "We did some research here where we just gave people some regular and intensive dietary advice and this resulted in a 10 to 12 per cent weight loss." Dr David Ashton, medical director of The Healthier Weight Centre in Birmingham, points to the fact that the study participants continued to lose weight after finishing taking the supplement to suggest the weight loss was a placebo effect. "Another problem is that we don't know what it was that the programme participants lost — losing fat, not water, is important." What about all the other dieting pills in our supermarkets, boasting ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, fucus (seaweed) and green tea? "The evidence behind these dieting pills is very weak, if not nonexistent," says Claire MacEvilly. "We haven't found any evidence for the effectiveness of ingredients such as apple cider vinegar." However, she adds, green tea may be an exception, as a few studies from Japan suggest it may make people feel full. Ultimately, it's calories that count — eat less and exercise more. "It would be better to spend the money on healthier foods such as fruit, veg and wholegrains," she says. News Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pa...;in_page_id=1774&in_a _source=
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| Acomplia Draws 'Wonder Drug' Headlines, But Do These Help Sanofi? |
| 07.02.06 (10:44 pm) [edit] |
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The new diet pill Acomplia (rimonabant) was hailed in major U.K. newspapers this past week as a "Wonder Drug," a "Wonder Weight Loss Pill," a "Fat-Busting Drug" said to produce "Amazing Results," and the start of the "Obesity Drug Revolution." And that was just in the headlines. In the stories that followed, Acomplia was described as "a drug that promises to revolutionise the treatment of obesity and diabetes," a "groundbreaking once-a-day pill," a "wonder pill that can cut body weight by 10 per cent in a year," and a "revolutionary new drug which helps people lose weight." These stories surely sounded like a rare piece of good news to the millions of people looking for an easy way to shed some pounds. All of these stories followed the June 28th launch news conference by the drug's developer, Sanofi-Aventis, which insisted it intended Acomplia to be only used by doctors to treat obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, or overweight patients with a BMI of 27 or more who have cholesterol problems or are showing signs of developing type 2 diabetes. "We shall take care with this product," Sanofi CEO Jean-Francois Dehecq had soberly said a week earlier. "We shall work hard in conjunction with the medical community." Added Sanofi spokesman Jean-Marc Podvin: "It's definitely not a cosmetic drug.'' At the London news conference, Sanofi even trotted out a couple of distinguished doctors who agreed they would be slow to prescribe Acomplia. "On a first appointment they won't get a prescription for any weight-loss medication," said Dr. David Haslam, indicating that a reduced calorie diet and exercise "will always be used first." Dr. John Betteridge of University College London went further, saying that with a new patient he would be inclined to wait at least three months to see if diet and exercise were working before prescribing Acomplia. Where's the disconnect here? Did the U.K. media somehow miss Sanofi's emphasis on the need for a cautious, let's-start-out-slowly-wi th-those-who-need-it-the- most approach to the prescribing of Acomplia -- a drug with as yet not fully understood side effects? Or was there a different take-away message designed to build a frenzy of demand for the new "wonder weight-loss pill?" The truth probably lies in the math. At the launch price of just over $100 for a one-month's supply of Acomplia, the "wonder-pill" seems highly unlikely to become the $5-billion-dollar-a-year blockbuster Sanofi is hoping for if it is prescribed only to "obese patients with serious metabolic and cardiometabolic risks." The launch hype in Britain may also not help Sanofi in its efforts to get Acomplia to the market in the United States. While Dehecq this week praised the European Medicines Agency for doing a "fantastic" job in reviewing and approving Acomplia more rapidly than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, some observers believe this week's British headlines may further fuel the FDA's concerns about hastily approving another "wonder drug." News Source: http://www.dietdrugreport.com...
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