In early clinical trials, Acomplia is looking promising. But with only 3,000+ people tested so far, it's far from being approved by the FDA. And even as effective as Acomplia appears to be in early tests, much of the hype is overblown: daily walking or cardiovascular exercise results in far more weight loss. So does giving up the consumption of soft drinks or refined carbohydrates like white flour or added sugars. There are far more effective ways to lose weight and keep it off than popping a diet pill.
Yet the idea of a diet pill is seductive. It's something that doesn't require any exertion whatsoever, and that makes it a perfect fit for many Americans, who seem increasingly unwilling to actually take any action in order to achieve lasting results. What they want is a magic weight loss pill. And so far, Acomplia looks like the closest solution we've seen yet.
The real test, of course, will come when the potential side effects are fully examined. Will the drug be the next Vioxx or Fen-Phen? Unfortunately, we can no longer trust the drug safety review process of the FDA, meaning that even FDA approval is no guarantee that the drug is safe. We'll only know the answer to that question after a few million people start taking the pills. No doubt, obese Americans will be lining up to volunteer as guinea pigs for this one: weight loss with no effort? Sign me up!
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
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Tuesday, November 09, 2004
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