Lose Weight… With One Tiny Pill
By WLR Dietitian
We all know pill popping
isn’t the answer when it comes to losing weight and keeping if
off. But clinical trials with a new anti-obesity drug look
promising. The drug, called rimonabant, was developed after
scientists noticed that cannabis smokers often had increased
appetites and frequently experienced the ‘munchies’.
They
worked on the idea that if substances from cannabis called cannabinoids stimulated appetite, blocking the cannabinoid
receptors in the brain might reduce appetite.
Furthermore,
blocking these receptors might also help people to give up
smoking as these receptors not only appear to be involved in
controlling food intake, but also have a role to play in
tobacco dependence.
Earlier trials with the drug, which works by blocking
cannabinoid receptors in the brain, have already shown
promising results. But now a new study published in medical
journal The Lancet, confirms the drug can help with weight
loss and reduce the risk factors associated with heart
disease.
In the study, more than 1,500 obese people were given a
calorie-controlled diet, together with either 5mg or 20mg of
rimonabant each day or a dummy drug. After one year, two
thirds of the participants taking the largest dose had lost at
least 5 percent of their weight. Better still, of these, 39
percent lost more than 10 percent. Meanwhile, patients on the
20mg dose lost on average, 4cm from their waist and risk
factors for heart disease including raised cholesterol,
insulin resistance and the presence of metabolic syndrome
improved.
Professor Luc Van Gaal who led the study says, “In this
study, treatment with rimonabant over one year led to
sustained, clinically meaningful weight loss, reduction in
waist circumference and associated improvements in several
cardiovascular risk factors.”
Weight Loss Resources says…
It’s great that research continues to be carried out in an
effort to help find a drug that can aid weight loss. However,
it’s unlikely we’ll ever be in a situation where diet and
exercise become redundant in the fight against obesity.
Finding a miracle pill that enables us to lose weight while
constantly overindulging on a poor diet and doing no exercise
is still a long way off. Even in this study, the participants
had to follow a calorie-controlled diet!
With regard to this drug, more trials still need to be
carried out, although the manufacturers are hoping the drug,
which will be marketed under the name
Acomplia, will be
available next year. We’ll keep you updated on any progress
but in the meantime, it’s not worth getting too excited and
giving up your diet!
A closer look at the data shows that while the weight loss
achieved with rimonabant is statistically significant and
certainly improves health, in real terms, losing 10 percent of
your weight is unlikely to get you into those size-10 trousers
you’ve always dreamed of!
The drug is only suitable for people
who have a body mass index of over 30 or over 27 if there are
other health problems. This means someone who weighs 14st, may
lose up to 20lb in a year by taking this drug. That’s good
news, but let’s face it, most of us can achieve this – and a
whole lot more – by dieting and exercising alone. Bottom line,
even if this drug does get approved, it might help you lose
some weight and improve your overall heart health – but it
won’t make you skinny!
Update
Rimonabant has now
received UK approval as Acomplia
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