If you’re obese and are at the end of your ropes looking for weight loss help, there’s good news from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA in the past few months has approved two new weight loss drugs for people who struggle with obesity and being overweight — Qsymia and Belviq.
Both Qsymia (pronounced kyoo-sim-EE-uh and manufactured by Vivus Pharmaceuticals) and Belviq (pronounced bel-VEEK and manufactured by Arena Pharmaceuticals) have been shown to be effective in their clinical trials to help people lose significant amounts of weight.
Qsymia is composed of two generic drugs, phentermine (an appetite suppressant) and topiramate (a seizure and migraine medication). Belviq focuses on changing on how serotonin is processed by the brain. Qysmia will be on sale by the end of the year, while Belviq won’t be available until sometime in early-to-mid 2013.
Should you consider these drugs if you’re obese or seriously overweight?
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Hmm, the problem that I see with weight loss drugs is that that do nothing to change the Mindset of the individual and Mindset…the thoughts one chooses to think, the images one chooses to focus upon and create, the emotions one continues to feel…everything that makes up one’s Mindset will contribute to 90% of their results.
Of course if one wants permanent weight loss, then a weight loss mindset is 90% of their success. Method (conventional diet and exercise) makes up only 10%.
Taking a drug to alter brain chemicals does not teach a person how to deliberately change their mindset so that they are in full control of their own mind. But of course, it does depend one is choosing for themselves, and not everyone wants to learn how to take control and manage their own mind.
Thanks, you’ve inspired some other thoughts in me and maybe I’ll write about this topic, too!
To Your Best Life…IN Your Ideal Body,
JoLynn Braley
The F.A.T. Release Coach
And if you have a psych disorder, do not touch these “wonder drugs” with a ten foot pole. I have type II bipolar disorder and cannot take antidepressants because they make me manic as f**k.
I am 50 years old and have had an eating disorder since the age of 12 when I started sticking my finger down my throat because I developed hips and could no longer fit into a size 9 boys’ jeans. After years of wrecking my metabolism with extreme dieting, I finally found size acceptance and Health At Every Size. Now instead of saying “what’s the point, it won’t make me thin anyway?” I’m saying “I’m exercising because I like it and to hell with whether or not it makes me a Socially Acceptable Size.”
There is evidence that healthier habits will make a person feel better and have better lab results regardless of said person’s size.
It would be nice if we could all stop drinking the Kool Aid that the multi BILLION dollar diet industry keeps supplying us with. If diets worked, there wouldn’t be so damn many of them. The diet industry depends on our self hate and the stigmatizing of people of a certain size.
Hmm, I would think that an appetite suppressant would help most people lose weight, no matter what their mindset might be. Eating healthily and exercising is another campaign entirely, for other excellent reasons. However people who are yet to get their heads around these lifestyle changes should not be condemned to the perils of obesity if they can be helped by a safe medication. I would understand that people in the diet/exercise business might be frightened that overweight people might succeed in losing weight by using these drugs, rather than using their services. Tough!
Re comment number 2, I’d be surprised if most people would not prefer to achieve their ideal body weight if they could do so easily and painlessly. Accepting your (overweight) body size is always going to be a battle, in your own head and in other people’s as well.
OMG! It’s a miracle! You mean (JoLynn Braley
The F.A.T. Release Coach) that people can now “think” their way out of cancer, or a stroke, or a heart attack, or diabetes, or any disease (that it’s just their “mindset” that needs to change)?
hmmm … me thinks, you haven’t a clue.
I started Qsymia 9 weeks ago and so far I’m having nice success. It’s not a wonder drug. I have to work hard at diet and exercise. All it does is mildly suppress the appetite. I’m also a long time Weight Watchers member. So to the person that suggested that there is nothing in place to change the “mindset” I will only say that the super high out of pocket cost of this RX might make it so that only those who are the most serious about losing weight and keeping it off will take it. I am keeping a blog for those who are interested in following my success.