Weight Loss and Good Health Doesn't Come in a Pill

When it comes to weight loss and good health, everyone is looking for the quick fixthe magic pill.  If such a thing existed, someone would be incredibly wealthy and obesity would no longer be an issue. 

Want more proof that weight loss and good health doesn’t come in a magic pill? With most drugs, they treat the symptoms, not the cause.  According to scientists, anti-obesity drugs are unlikely to provide long lasting benefit.  Scientists at the University of Liverpool argue that anti-obesity drugs fail to provide lasting benefits for health and wellbeing because they tackle the biological consequences of obesity, and not the important psychological causes of overconsumption and weight gain.

Anti-obesity drug developers focus primarily on weight loss as their end goal, and do not take into consideration the motivational and behavioural factors that most commonly cause obesity. Obesity typically results from eating too much food combined with too sedentary a lifestyle. However, obese people may also have a complicated psychological relationship with food that makes it difficult for them to control their appetite sufficiently to manage their weight.

An anti-obesity drug cannot replace the health benefits of exercise.  An anti-obesity drug cannot teach you how to make better food choices.  An anti-obesity drug isn’t going to help ease the underlying causes of emotional eating. 

Anti-obesity drugs can work in different ways; for example, by suppressing appetite, altering metabolism or inhibiting the absorption of calories. There have, however, been serious concerns over the safety of the most commonly prescribed drugs, leading to the recent withdrawal of the European market leaders Sibutramine (Reductil, Meridia) and Rimonabant (Accomplia).

When patients are prescribed anti-obesity drugs, are the doctors referring them to a nutritionist to become more educated about food and caloric intake?  Probably not.  Are these patients being referred to fitness professionals to get a structured exercise program to help them burn calories and improve their health?  I think not.  Natural Health solutions are probably not discussed with an overweight patient prior to prescribing them an anti-obesity drug. 

In most cases, obesity and weight gain is due to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.  Then there are the psychological aspects towards eating such as emotional eating which can be addressed through therapy or hypnosis.  There is also what Dr. Brian Wansink, Ph.D refers to as “Mindless Eating” and talks about this a great length in his book, Mindless Eating.  And lastly, yes, there are some people who suffer from metabolic disorder. 

The key to weight loss and good health is so basic and simple for most people via good nutritional habits and exercise.  Calories in vs. calories out.  End of story.  We all know we need to do this in order to lose weight and become healthier yet, people tend to make this much more complicated than it needs to be.  Yes, weight loss will take time, and no, it’s not going to happen overnight.  Too many people find it difficult to be consistent and committed towards changing lifelong bad habits into lifelong good habits and give up too quickly and easily.  The rest of it lies within the subconscious mind and that’s where therapy or hypnosis can help. I have discussed this aspect in my article Struggling With Weight? You May be Getting In Your Way.  Being more mindful of what you are eating and how much you are eating can help get you more in control of consuming excess calories.

I’m not saying that anti-obesity drugs don’t have their place.  They do, provided the causes of obesity are addressed and not just treating the effect.

Reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316112448.htm