Diet Drug Faces FDA's Disaproval Yet Stays On Market
So long as people want quick fixes in the form of a pill they can take that will magically help them lose weight, all sorts of diet drugs will keep popping up.
The Chicago Tribune reports that 8 out of a 16-member panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory said that the diet drug named Meridia should be withdrawn from the U.S. market due to safety concerns.
6 of the panelists said that the Abbott Laboratories drug should be prescribed only by specially trained physicians and that the drug should be packaged with a black box warning.
If that doesn't sound bad enough, none of the panelists among the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee said the drug should remain on the market with current labeling, yet the FDA allows it to stay on the market; it simply encourages doctors to prescribe it in limited circumstances.
God only knows what "limited circumstances" mean. I suppose in the age of fast food, where it doesn't take any time to stuff our faces with fat laden, highly processed foods that are low in nutritional value, that the solution should be equally convenient. Stuff yourself with unhealthy food, gain weight; pop a pill, lose the weight.
But, unfortunately, it's never that easy. Eating a healthy and varied diet in moderation, keeping hydrated with purified or clean water (i.e. so you don't mistake thirst for hunger), exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep to regulate mood, hormone, and energy levels, and applying effective stress relief methods such as yoga, medication or mindfulness, will help anybody maintain a healthy weight. But of course, these steps need to be a permanent part of a person's lifestyle in order for that person to benefit from it.
But aren't good health, minimal visits to the doctor, minimal healthcare bills, a positive body image, being able to buy clothing off the rack without being limited to extra-large sizes, and being able to enjoy all kinds of physical activity worth the effort?
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