Students resist the allure of FDA approved diet pills

This month, struggling dieters will have a new weapon available to help in the war against weight gain – The first non-prescription diet pill approved by the Federal Drug and Food Administration.
With GCSU students seeing Spring break on the horizon, dreaming of the ideal beach body, the simplicity of a diet pill may be tempting.
Diet pills have been available through prescription for several years now and various diet trends continue to be popular among various populations. Diet products such as Trim-Spa and Hoodia (popularized by Oprah Winfrey) have made recent headlines. The fat-blocking weight-loss pill Orlistat, which has been sold through prescription, is the first pill approved for general use to be approved by the FDA.
GlaxcoSmithKline PLC will sell the store version as “Alli.” The company chose the title “Alli” because it is suppose to be “allied” with exercise and healthy eating on a consistent basis.
When taken with meals, Orlistat blocks the absorption of one-quarter of fat consumed. The fat – nearly 150-200 calories worth – is passed out of the body in stools. About half the patients in trials experienced gastrointestinal side effects.
Amy Whatley, program coordinator of the Wellness Depot, believes the potential side effects undermine the new diet pill’s claims.
“The fat calories that are blocked by this have to go straight through you,” Whatley said. “The potential effect is that you can’t control your bowels, because you’re body is having to remove this waste so quickly.”
While the side effects may be undesirable, diet products are a booming business in the United States and Europe, and the option to lose weight with the help of a pill may find popularity among individuals seeking that quick solution.
Dr. Charles Ganely, the FDA’s director of non-prescription products, stressed that “Alli” is intended for use with a regular diet and exercise program in an interview with CBS News.
“Using this drug alone is unlikely to be beneficial,” Ganely said.
Numerous health officials are split between whether or not diet drugs are the best solution to the obesity epidemic that currently plagues the United States.
“What it all boils down to is moderating your diet and making exercise a daily habit,” Whatley said. “It’s all about a lifestyle change, I would never recommend a supplement instead.”
In a survey done by The Colonnade, a random sample of 50 GCSU students were asked whether or not they would purchase this new product without any additional information. Only three students answered “yes.”
Dana Tyler, a sophomore pre-exercise science major, disagrees with taking a pill claiming to block fat calories.
“Your body needs certain fats for various metabolic processes,” Tyler said. “Not having a fat in your diet could be detrimental to your body.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 2 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry