Do they lose weight from pills?
The American government has promised to pay $ 100 million to anyone who invents a cure for extra pounds. The award is waiting for the future owner…
Will anyone get this jackpot? Scientists doubt it. Firstly, the obesity epidemic is growing faster than the development of a new drug is underway. And secondly, fullness is not a disease, but a normal reaction of the body to an abundance of fatty foods and a sedentary lifestyle. And it is impossible to "cure" it with the help of any medicine.
Psychologists believe that the belief in a "good medicine" that is about to appear has several unpleasant consequences.
• A person believes and waits, which means that he does not solve the problem here and now. Most likely, this inaction will only increase the weight.
• If a person who is losing weight needs medicine, it means that he agrees that he is sick. Psychologically, this is very dangerous: the illusion that a person is sick really generates diseases. Taking periodically various kinds of supplements from extra pounds and making sure of their ineffectiveness, the losing weight will begin to think that his illness has gone very far, "since even such advertised means do not help him."
Imaginary patientNo medicine can protect us from sweets and delicacies.
And it will not be able to make it move more either. But in addition to a great love for goodies and a contemplative lifestyle, losing weight is no different from "healthy" thin. They do not suffer from mental disorders. All their organs and systems function in the same way as slender ones (with the exception of only 2-3% of overweight, whose cause of excess weight is some kind of disease). So what should they be treated for? From unwillingness to walk two extra flights of stairs? Or from the temptation to get into the refrigerator at night?
But then why are overweight remedies advertised everywhere? "There is a rule in medicine: the disease has either one good remedy, or many bad ones," explains Mikhail Ginzburg, MD, nutritionist and psychotherapist. "There can't be many good remedies: they are simply not needed. And mainly biologically active food additives are advertised. The only study they have to undergo is a safety check, the absence of toxic substances, heavy metal salts or pathogenic bacteria. The law does not require to confirm their therapeutic activity. If it is written on the supplement that it reduces appetite or delays the absorption of fats "and generally contributes to weight loss," this is nothing more than a good wish of the manufacturer."
Trio of "diets" from different troublesNow there are only three medicines whose effectiveness in the fight against excess weight is clinically proven.
These are sibutramine, orlistrate and rimonabant. Moreover, the last drug, rimonabant, is banned in Russia and the USA: after its use, many patients developed severe depression, which in some cases led to suicide.
All over the world, these products are sold strictly according to a doctor's prescription and are not recommended for everyone losing weight, but only for those whose body mass index is above 30.
"An extra 5, 10, 15 and even 20 kg is not an indication for their reception! – exclaims Doctor of Medical Sciences, Chairman of the Board of the Finnish Society of Obesity Researchers Yarmo Kaukua. - These drugs have a lot of contraindications and side effects, and therefore it is at least unreasonable to drink them in order to lose weight by the summer or get rid of the consequences of a festive feast."
According to Kauqua, the choice of one of the three drugs is always up to the doctor. First of all, because the mechanism of their action is different.
So, orlistat (trade name "Xenical", 2600-3200 rubles / package, dosage – one capsule during the main meal, but no more than three capsules per day) delays the absorption of fat in the small intestine, and fat migrates to the colon, where it should not be. As a result, an intestinal disorder occurs, which is often called "fatty diarrhea".
Sibutramine (in Europe – "Reductil", in Russia – "Meridia", 3000-4000 rubles / package, dosage – one tablet per day) acts on the appetite centers in the brain. Reduces the feeling of hunger and increases the feeling of satiety, it becomes easier to follow a diet, the rate of weight loss is somewhat accelerated. However, sibutramine has side effects. The fact is that appetite and food motivation are very closely related to our other behavioral reactions. It is impossible to create a drug that would selectively reduce appetite. People who take it will also have a worse mood, disturbed sleep. Blood pressure may jump, dry mouth may appear. In addition, the drug is contraindicated for people with arterial hypertension, angina pectoris and diabetes mellitus.
Finally, rimonabant, banned in Russia (trade name "Acomplia", dosage – one tablet per day) reduces appetite and hunger. Food simply ceases to bring pleasure. The most common side effects when taking rimonabant are a sharp deterioration in mood, dizziness, nausea, writes "Health".
Sweeten the pill"These medications do not get rid of excess weight,– says Yarmo Kauqua.
– We can talk about only 3-5 additional dropped kilograms compared to those who lose weight without pills! Moreover, the slimming effect appears only with prolonged use of drugs. The maximum result has to wait a year, sometimes two. And the pills are not cheap, they have a lot of side effects. The question arises – is the game worth the candle?"
It is worth it if we want to accelerate weight loss, says Candidate of Medical Sciences, endocrinologist Andrey Isaev. "If you supplement the diet with medication, the kilograms begin to go away faster, and a person has a feeling that it is possible to get rid of excess weight, that it is not so difficult to do. After a new lifestyle and diet becomes a habit, you can cancel medications. They are needed only as a catalyst for the process."
And if you take pills, go on a diet, but do not change your lifestyle?
"Then after the cancellation of the medication, the kilograms will return," says Mikhail Ginzburg. "Taking these drugs, one cannot hope for a miracle. He won't be here! The pills will "work" only if you, swallowing them, begin to follow a diet and move more. However, you can do the same without taking medication.
There can be no good pills for excess weight. (But, alas, there are medications with a side effect in the form of weight gain). In the recent past, the use of fepranone, mazindol gave rise to thousands of cases of painful addiction. Remember how the craze for poisonous herb hellebore ended. Dexfenfluramine, known to us as isolipan, has caused several hundred deaths associated with damage to the valvular apparatus of the heart. Now we have a growing problem associated with behavioral disorders ("Meridia") and depression up to suicide ("Acomplia"). Next in line, I think, is a multiple increase in cases of colon cancer due to the use of Xenical ... Overweight is not treated with medicines in principle, because it is not a disease. If losing weight understood this, they would find a better use for their money."
Source : PershodzhereloPortal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru