The “race” to the weight loss pill finish line: Arena’s Belviq becomes the first FDA approved diet pill in 13 years

Pharmaceutical companies are businesses focused on one primary goal; to make a lot money for their investors. Arena’s latest diet pill “Belviq” is about to do just that: Make lots of money. Belviq is the first diet pill approved by the FDA in 13 years, making it the newest and perhaps hottest pill on the market. Not since Phen-Phen (the last diet pill to be removed from the shelves for being the culprit behind heart attacks and life threatening reactions to its drug) has a diet pill been allowed to be approved.

The secret behind Belviq is not such a mystery after all; it suppresses your appetite while reducing your caloric intake. Along with a proposed healthy diet and exercise regiment, the benefits of Belviq should work to help curb your appetite. However, the long terms effects of any appetite suppressant fall short of being the answer. Below, are several reasons why:
*Eating disorders (obesity to anorexia) directly relate to behavior.
*Pills do not provide therapy; they only curb the cravings but not the obsession.
*Only a small percentage of those tested lost a small amount of weight

“Belviq is designed to block appetite signals in the brain to help people feel full after eating smaller amounts of food. In large clinical trials, patients on average lost about 5 percent of body weight. The drug's FDA-approved label says Belviq use should be stopped if a patient has not reached 5 percent weight loss after 12 weeks of daily use”.

(http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/27/us-arena-obesity-idUSBRE85Q1AA20120627)

If you are obese (BMI above 30), a 5% weight loss won’t scratch the surface of the problem and the end-result will leave you feeling even more hopeless and defeated.

So what does someone with an eating and behavioral issue do to lose weight?
*Counseling – This should be at the top of the list. Get to the root of the problem and you will find the link that keeps taking you back to the behavior. If you can not afford counseling, most churches and other religious organizations offer spiritual support groups that will stand with you as you walk this journey.
*Education and Nutritional planning – Most people think they know what they should eat, however, you would be surprised. If your insurance plan (or the lack thereof) does not cover a visit to a nutritionist, attend a nutritional and/or wellness seminar (usually costs under $20 per person) and learn more about nutrition and how to make healthy choices
*Exercise – You can join a gym or hire a personal trainer, but it is much easier to commit to do one thing every single day: Walk, 30-45 minutes a day. If you are too embarrassed to walk the block, then walk in place. Moving your body each day in a repetitive fashion for at least 30 minutes can make a vast difference. And guess what? It is free!!!!

Is a pill the answer? No. It may help, but it is never the complete equation. Unless you get to the root of the why you are overeating, you will continue to use food as a “bad” drug. That is why diet pills, fad diets and marketing ploys to lose weight are so short lived.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Diet pills do not work.
Get to the root of the problem and you will find the answer.

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