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The hope that a new appetite-suppressing drug will cure obesity
is delusional, says Ian Marber. If it has any effect, its
users will probably put on more weight
Forgive me if I'm a little underwhelmed by the news that an
extract of the Hoodia gordonii plant from the Kalahari is
to be developed into a drug that could have appetite-suppressing
properties. This is potentially hugely exciting for some.
But for me, it is just more of the same.
The argument runs that, for those who are either unable to
stop eating or lack the ability to gauge when they are full,
a drug that curbs appetite with negligible side effects could
be a godsend.
Obesity can trigger the onset of cardiovascular disease, Type
2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. Early reports suggest
that a derivative of Hoodia gordonii could cut appetite by
as much as 1,000 calories a day, thus helping the morbidly
obese lose weight.
If the drug makes it through the clinical trials and appropriate
testing, then of course it will have commercial value (as
demonstrated by the jump in the share price of the biotech
company responsible for the development). So it would appear
there is a lot to be gained all round from giving the public
a pill to reduce hunger.
Or is there? The theory behind the weight loss drug's (phentermine,
adipex...) potential use assumes that the way to lose weight
is to eat less. But I think this notion is simply archaic.
It is precisely this sort of blinkered view that has led to
the cycle of dieting/subsequent weight gain so familiar to
millions of Britons.
Unless you are completely out of control, gorging yourself
or binge eating, then any drug like Phentermine herb or nutritional
supplement that reduces your appetite can potentially cause
as many problems as it solves.
Very few diets actually work and those that have true merit
in the long term cannot deliver the sort of results that most
of us want in the short term.
Read the complete news article here :http://www.telegraph.co.uk
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