Get thin and depressed in one go!

[janestarz]

Holland, the land of the free, the prostitutes, the tulips and the drugs. I'd like to discuss the latter today.

At the end of this month the drug Rimonabant will be available on a prescription from our general practicioner. It's a drug, developed by Sanofi-Aventis, that will help people lose weight. It is the answer to obesitas, and it will be available in our country on prescription only. According to free-and-crappy-news site Nu.nl it is intended for people suffering from cardiac problems and or diabetes who are obese.
This drug's name varies per country. We call it Rimonabant, while over the big blue ocean it's known as Zimulti or Acomplia.

What I gather from this site is that it helps block the signals of the brain saying you're hungry. It effects are that you lose 5% more weight than on a diet alone.
So basically, the desire for food lessens and you semi-starve without knowing it.

"...patients who took the drug lost an average of 14.2 pounds, while others who got a placebo dropped about 3.5 pounds.
Sanofi said Zimulti also reduced waist size and improved levels of "good" cholesterol, blood sugar and blood fats called triglycerides."

From: News.medical.net

Wanna know the downside? Oh, there's a downside.
This drug didn't pass FDA testing. It's not approved in the USA because it causes suicidal tendencies and depression. Though the drugs manufacturer doesn't say it's linked, the FDA 'begs to differ' and the article furthermore mentions:

"The panel were also very concerned that the drug's effect on the body could lead to an array of psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorders. "

So, the big question is: fat and happy, or thin and suicidal? You choose.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

It might be a solution for people with obesitas, because their illness is a real health risk. Still, I don't think you should take this drug without serious councelling and psychiatric/psychological help anyway.

Good that it is on prescription only, though you can wait for it to be sold illegally via the internet.

~Brenda~

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

True, and I'm sure that for people where diabetes is a bigger health risk then depression, this drug is an excellent option. The whole point of it being only available on prescription is to keep a check on the people.

I'm scared for those people who are not smart enough to take the health risks seriously (hey, I'll get thin, right?) and angry about those too egocentric to care about their internet customers.

[josianne.livejournal.com]

All drugs admitted to the European market have been approved by the EMEA, the European counterpart of the FDA.
So where the FDA might not approve it in the USA, the EMEA's opinion is that the drug is safe enough to use under prescription.
Therefore your final question is not completely truth, although it is a nice provocative statement for the discussion.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

It is, though, isn't it?

Personally, I think it's very hard for a doctor to decide if someone is depressed or not. When they see you, it's a moment. They don't spend a lot of time near you nor do they really know who you are. Hell, I thought I was pretty stable but it turns out I'm having more trouble coping with working full-time than I ever considered possible. It just goes to show that you never know.

[muizenstaartje.livejournal.com]

If it results to only 5% weight loss, it's probably fat and happy, or less fat and suicidal.
When are people going to stop dreaming about the miracle pill that will end all problems? Obesity is a problem that is more than the intake of food. It's food intake, excersise, genetics, commensal bacteria, psychological issues and cultural opinions.

A few generations ago a fat child was a complement to the mother and now we all need to lose weight no matter what?
Promising people money seems to work too to help them lose weight and that without pills.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Losing weight is a state of mind. I find it's quite easy once I pull the switch. But if there's trouble at work or trouble at home my mental resolve weakens. So in that too, losing weight and depression are linked.

There is a difference between the current fashion ideal (which I scathingly call Twiggy), healthy (sz 40-42?) and fat. And even fat can be categorized. I call myself overweight, but I'm happy with the way I look. I want to lose some weight because my current weight is not healthy, but I would never want to conform with the fashion ideal unless that changes.

[muizenstaartje.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Britney Spears is called fat these days. I mean: WTF?!? She can't weigh more than I do and I have a BMI of 22 and even if she's shorter than me she'd have a BMI of no more than 23. That's not fat, that's the normal size of someone who isn't photoshopped.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

I always say: real women have hips.
Photoshop is not real.

You look good! I mean, you could use some extra fat to keep you warm in winter :p

[muizenstaartje.livejournal.com]

I've almost completed my new year's resolution of 2007: gaining 5 kg. I lost those in two weeks during the drama of august 2006 and even Christmas could not give them back. I think 64 kg is just fine for me.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, cheese.

I think I might be allergic to cheese. Every time I eat cheese my face turns to Etna. I love cheese. ;.;

[muizenstaartje.livejournal.com]

Geheel over iets anders, ik heb de WoT roleplay boeken van mijn vriend gezien en daar zaten plaatjes in van die tovenaarsleerlingen/accepted. Ook eentje van die sjaal, maar die is een beetje artsy. Nu heb ik alleen de boeken bij mijn vriend laten liggen. :/
Ik zal ze een keer inscannen.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Artsy....nouja, iets is beter dan niets. Ik neem aan dat RJ ze wel gezien heeft.
Neem je tijd hoor!