A magic diet pill?

In all the big news of late – including Obamacare upheld by the Supreme Court – the headline about Belvig (a new weight-loss pill) being approved by the FDA may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

This one is important to me. How many times did I pray for adiet pill that would solve my obesity problem? Many, many, many times. If only it were that simple. Certainly, if it were, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic in this country.

The diet drug adjusts Serotonin levels in the brain to make you feel full. (For many of us, this wouldn’t have helped!) In my view, the impact/results shown in the study were somewhat insignificant. They studied 7,000 people who lost about 5% of their body weight on average — about 13 lbs — in one year!

No disrespect intended but I lost that in 1-2 weeks the good old fashioned healthy way through diet and exercise. I lost 175 lbs in one year and 200+ in 1 1/2 years. If I had only lost 13 lbs a year (or even 20) I probably would not have stuck with the plan/program.

The FDA urges diet and exercise with the drug for best results. 🙂 And while it is the first diet pill to be approved in 13 years, they did refuse to approve the same drug in 2010. In addition to the side affects and risk factors mentioned (see articles below), the drug apparently caused tumors in animals tested. Many argue it is too early to tell whether there are really any serious side affects. Then in my view, the drug is not safe. Many so called diet pills have already been pulled from the market after being FDA approved.

I believe diet and exercise are not only the healthiest ways to drop significant weight, but doable. If I can do it, I know you can. I just came from a very inspiring group meeting tonight of women — all obese — working the same program and path I worked. Many of them also prayed for that magic pill but in my view they are all going to experience the same kind of amazing results I had because of their sheer will and determination to work the program over time.

I never want to take away anyone’s hope. In fact, quite the contrary. But my advice is to make sure you know the facts before you put your hope or your health in the hands of a magic diet pill. There is a lot of information out there for you to make your own decision on this matter.

The one thing I know for sure: diet and exercise work. I am standing here to prove it. And while it wasn’t magic, I wouldn’t trade one moment of my life-changing transformation journey today for a pill! Not one moment because I transformed on the inside and out.

Here are a few links to some of the press on the newly approved diet pill.
Belviq: 5 Things You Need to Know About the New Weight-Loss Pill
FDA approves prescription diet drug Belviq 
Weight-loss pill claims to fight obesity