Going With The Flow

It's easier to get a high risk, high profit drug passed through the FDA than a liquor license in Utah.

Something like that gets approved, but it takes 15 years for a promising anti-cancer drug to hit the market.

I read up on it a bit this morning while in a meeting - the side effect for pregnant women (well, for their babies) are pretty scary.

I am so against this kind of stuff. I feel like it does so much damage. I agree with you, there is a simple recipe for weight loss, less calories in then out. People just don't want to do the work to lose weight the right way. Plus almost everyone I know that does these kinds of things never keeps the weight off because it really is a lifestyle.

Speaking of alcohol, the homeless guy on the side of the road this morning was smoking a cigarette and holding a sign that said "I'm not going to lie, I just want beer". Note to really nice people - DO NOT GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE MONEY!! It encourages laziness and begging.

It is really sad how long it takes for cancer drugs to get approved...there are so many drugs out there that are ions ahead of the market but you can only get them through cancer trials...and I feel like this is one place where it's worth taking a little risk!

Carina - I agree with you. These drugs are totally dependent...as soon as you're off them (if you've made no lifestyle changes) all the weight will come back. And probably in an even less healthy form...more fatty tissue.

the other tried and true way to lose weight is a stomach virus.

Unfortunately we have become a shiny object society that lacks patience and persistance. As Homer says "But I'm hungry now!"

how about the shiny new breakthrough method of weight loss i just read about: "Eat less. Move more!"

Bad news guys - the FDA just DISapproved the new weight loss program I submitted: "Go on vacation w/ Andrea and Jake"

They said it didn't involve enough pills

If I'd have been out for my morning pootle in sunny Utah and saw the homeless guy with that sign, I'd have stopped and bought him a beer: at least the old boy had the decency and integrity to tell the truth - honesty's the best policy.

Perhaps the chap has an interesting story to tell. Maybe, just maybe, stay with me... maybe he was addicted to slimming pills, which he invented, and somebody sued him for fibbing about the side effects and he lost everything. So, now he just tells the truth.

What strikes me here (having suffered from being a heavy drinker - in both senses of the word heavy - is that he tells the truth. Most drinkers are inveterate liars.

But I'm with you on the slimming pills. People should take great care of their health. Quick fixes normally end in tears.

Just to be clear, I'm not mocking the homeless guy. I'm sure there's some sad reason why he's out on the streets begging for beer.

I like the "go on vacation with Andrea & Jake" diet plan. Seriously drugs like this just make me down right angry!! I could go off on a tangent but the bottom line is that people need to get off they're lazy asses and start exercising and eating right. A "diet pill" is not going to counter act a crappy diet.

i think it's important to remember that the seemingly simple concept of "eating less and moving more" is not so simple for the majority of the population. that's a very difficult and scary thought for a lot of people whose lifestyles have never incorporated any sort of exercise or good dietary habits. as runners, daily exercise is automatic -- we enjoy it and it comes easy (most days) because it's just part of the daily routine. along with running, eating a healthy diet becomes easier because it's intuitive -- we want to eat right and fuel our bodies with foods that are going to make us strong and able to perform at our best. some people have a very real addiction to certain foods (or just food in general), and wouldn't be able to exercise if they tried because they are just too big and they would be at risk for injury and other health complications. i think it's safe to assume that most of them desperately want to exercise and eat better, but they honestly don't know where to start -- the task seems insurmountable and they turn to the drugs as the only solution that seems feasible. while i definitely agree that drugs are not the solution, i can understand why so many people turn to this before attempting to change things the hard way.

ideally, there wouldn't be a market for these drugs because no one would ever get to the state in which they felt they needed them. what we need is more nutrition education! hooray.

Bam - although I do (slightly) appreciate the honesty, I just cannot support an alcoholic or cigarette addiction! :)

Rachelle - you better not get my blog blocked!!

Allie - I do agree with you to some extent. That's why I understand why it can be a step towards losing weight...but at some point in the process, you have to do something else to take charge of your life outside of drugs. And there are soo many opportunities out there - community events, free personal training sessions, group exercise, nutrition clinics, counseling...and that's where it is up to the person to decide whether they really want to have the responsibility and motivation, or not.

Everyone is making good and valid points... while there are going to be exceptions to everything, the bottom line is that sooooo many problems can be prevented by taking action before its too late and more drastic measures are the only option. Like allie said, education is key. It especially starts w/ the younger generation. And then they have to actually get off their butts and do something :-)

I guess what bugs me is that I feel like the diet pill thing creates a "bail out" for people who physically COULD make the changes on their own, but would rather just take the easier way out.

Surely there are people who really need the medication - for them, I would hope it works and improves their health and quality of life.

i totally agree -- it's up to the individual to take charge of their life. i also agree that drugs are a bail out. i was just bringing in the alternative perspective because we're all a bunch of active people, so it's easy for us to say "get off your {awaiting sasha's approval} and stop eating junk." unfortunately it's not that simple. often times there are deeply-rooted psychological barriers that must be overcome in addition to the physical barriers. but as andrea said, there are plenty of alternatives to drugs that can help the individual in all of these areas.

i think one of the best places to start is to get everyone to smell the sizzler from its backside on a hot day.

For once I'm going to be serious. Every Friday, every town on the planet should round up their fat people and bring them to the town gathering spot. The porkers should be thrown into a huge skittle and fried in their own fat. The screams and rasping sizzles from the fatties should be recorded and played on Monday mornings - as a warning to all. Imagine how much money would be saved on medical bills. Imagine the jobs that would be created for the lean elite.

So how do we define fat? Any body who has a body fat reading over 20% fries.

Imagine the homeless man - B.F. 15% - can in hand, taking the wallets off the soon to be fried; no need for a sign. No need for charity. The very same fatties he tried to save with his slimming pills who sued him and put him on the streets would give his sad existence some joy. What a beautiful irony.

20%? i'm a gonner.

Fry baby, fry.

I don't know how I missed this string of a comments yesterday but I'm glad I found it. Bam definitely wins the creative solution award.

I agree with Andrea. My aunt used to be homeless due to alcoholism. She wandered around Pioneer Park for over two years begging for money or alcohol. She eventually failed at getting money and booze and had a severe withdrawal. It was awful enough, seizures and the whole bit for her to realize she needed to change. People that supplied her with alcohol or money prolonged the process.

Just my two cents.

Adam, I'm even one more day behind.

Very interesting thread, but it is preaching to the choir. The good thing about blogs is people of similar interests can get together but I think the message of this thread needs to “go viral”. That being said I will throw my two cents in as well.

As someone who studies obesity and diabetes, I see all of the scariest statistics and even scarier the hurdles the obese have to overcome. Each generation has a bigger (pun intended) hurdle because there is a lot more going on in the obese body than what we can see on the outside. What we know now is that a lot of this damage gets passed on to their children as well, before they are even born and then by example after birth. I work tirelessly to understand the reason why this is the case. Most of my efforts will likely only fuel "diet pill" development. This is frustrating, as I have to admit I wish there would be more funding toward social intervention.

My soapbox stance is that people need to make a worldwide effort to focus on diet and exercise reform, which is the ultimate health reform. This is the only way we can make a dent in the health care costs that are strangling this country. We need better health care and PE education in the school system starting at preschool. To think that parents can do it is ridiculous; you cannot teach your kid something you cannot do yourself. Kids see what you do not listen to what you say.

I agree with Allie in her points that most of us on the blog are here because we've always been here. I know that there are the few success stories of the previously overweight now running but in general people do what they have always done. We need to instill this lifestyle in this society (and the world as a whole). It does not need to be running it needs to be daily exercise and proper diet. This needs to be the norm.

I could go on but it is Friday now. So enjoy your weekends, be a good example not a horrible warning, and when you have the chance tell people your thoughts. If you can get one person to change one bad habit maybe that is all it will take.