An Infographic about Weight Loss Trends of 2012

Via: Try Sensa Weightloss

FDA approves weight-management drug Qsymia with a REMS

Here's the press release about a new obesity drug Qsymia (pronounced kyoo-SIM-ee-uh):

FDA approves weight-management drug Qsymia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release) as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise for chronic weight management.

The drug is approved for use in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (obese) or adults with a BMI of 27 or greater (overweight) who have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol (dyslipidemia).

College students are losing weight for credit

There's a story on the Chronicle of Higher Education titled, "On Campus and Online, Students Lose Weight for Credit." (To read the full article, you need a subscription). The story has a photo (shown on the right) with the following description:

Katherine Culbreath takes notes in the "Principles of Weight Management" course at the U. of Texas at San Antonio. Students with both personal and professional motivations have enrolled.

Does that person in the photo appear to have a weight management problem? (then again, perhaps this student has lost weight because of the course and now appears to have a healthier weight) What if the wrong type of students are enrolling in weight management classes? We already have a huge public health problem with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Let's hope they're not enrolling in these courses unless the courses are also teaching about eating disorders and the health dangers of being too thin.

I think it's great to see colleges promoting healthy weight management courses and allowing overweight students to receive college credit as they lose weight.  There's even been some discussion about making such courses mandatory for certain students, but that still remains highly controversial.

FDA warning about counterfeit Alli

If you buy Alli, make sure you're getting the real product. The FDA is warning consumers about counterfeit Alli.

Preliminary laboratory tests conducted by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)—the maker of the FDA approved over-the-counter weight-loss product— revealed that the counterfeit version did not contain orlistat, the active ingredient in its product. Instead, the counterfeit product contained the controlled substance sibutramine. Sibutramine is a drug that should not be used in certain patient populations or without physician oversight.  Sibutramine can also interact in a harmful way with other medications the consumer may be taking.

Learn more by reading the recent FDA press release here.

What's a healthy weight?

Here in the United States, we seem to struggle with two extremes of weight: those who are too light for their size, and those who are too heavy for their size. We used to rely on Body Mass Index or BMI, but then we recognized that BMI has some significant limitations. So we added waist circumference as an additional measure.

There's a strong movement to get people to accept any type of weight. Some feel that people can be very healthy at any weight. Is this true?

I don't think you'll find a physician who agrees that a patient can be healthy at any weight. Instead, there is a healthy weight range that is optimal for each individual. If you're grossly outside of this range (either too low or too high), then you will be at increased risk for some serious health problems. This isn't to say that you'll definitely encounter such health problems, but epidemiological evidence reveals that people who are either too underweight or overweight will have health problems.

As we start this New Year, do you plan to change your weight? Weight loss is one of the most common New Year's Resolutions that people make. The problem in our society is that we have many people trying to lose weight when they're already at a healthy weight. We also have many people who are not at a healthy weight and they're not trying to lose weight. When will our culture accept the concept of a healthy weight?

Are you gaining weight this holiday season?

I ate so much yesterday. On average, an adult living in the United States gains approximately one pound each year. Have you been gaining weight over the past 5 or 10 years? It's so difficult to maintain a negative calorie balance over the holidays, but you can control your portions, select healthy food selections, eat desserts in moderation, and make time to exercise.

Did you get (or give) a gym membership this holiday season?
Did you get (or give) any fitness equipment this holiday season?

It's the day after Christmas and I'm in the mood to go to the gym today. Who's going to join me? The other great way to exercise is to go walking. I'll be doing some of that by heading out to the malls to do some shopping!

Should obese students be forced to take a special class?

According to this story on CNN, students at Lincoln University who have a body mass index (BMI) that is greater than 30 are being forced to take a fitness course that meets three hours each week. Those who do not complete this course can't graduate from college.

Is this fair? Is this right? Is this legal?

One student writes that she thinks all students should need to take the fitness course.

When I was a college student at MIT, we had to pass a swimming test (or successfully complete a swimming course) in order to graduate. This was a mandatory swim requirement. If you're attending a college that's next to a river like the Charles River, then you really ought to know how to swim.

So, returning to Lincoln University - what's going to happen? I think this new rule will upset some people, but personally, I think they should reconsider their BMI numbers. Instead of setting the bar at 30 (obesity), they should set it at 25 (overweight). Furthermore, those who have a low BMI (less than 18.5) should take a course on eating disorders, healthy eating, etc. BMI has its limitations, so I'm glad to see that they're also using waist circumference as a measure.

Medical treatment based on the color of your skin

Racism may not be obvious, but it can present itself in very subtle ways. CNN has a story titled, "Does your doctor judge you based on your color?"

I'd hate to think that doctors are racist, but the title implies exactly that point. Are doctors racist? Here's a quote from the story:

Reid, who is African-American (and who also has diabetes), firmly believes that if he'd been a white man, the junior doctor wouldn't have been so quick to order the cheaper and more drastic solution over his objections... Reid says he thinks the young doctor assumed he wasn't smart enough to think through a medical decision.

CNN contacted the hospital but Montefiore Medical Center refused to discuss his case.

"It's absolutely proven through studies that a black man and a white man going to the hospital with the same complaint will be treated differently," Dr. Neil Calman, a family physician and president of the Institute for Family Health in New York, said. Where's the proof, right?

• A 2005 study found African-American cardiac patients were less likely than whites to receive a lifesaving procedure called revascularization, where doctors restore the flow of oxygen to the heart.
• A 2007 study involving clinical case vignettes found that doctors were more likely to recommend lifesaving drugs when they thought the patient was white than when they thought the patient was black.
  

Doctors are humans and they are prone to bias. It's a part of human nature. In some cases, doctors may make an extra effort to treat minorities with extra care. Is that fair for non-minorities? At the end of the day, we all want equal care. We don't want favoritism, but it happens because we're all human. It's not just about race, either. According to CNN, a study from researchers at the New York University School of Medicine found more than 40 percent of the doctors surveyed had a negative reaction to obese people. Here we go again. Some people find the word "obese" to be offensive, and they may sue you if you call them that.

Concept of "overweight" may be relative

Although we have tools like body mass index (BMI) calculators, most consumers probably don't rely on those to assess their body. According to a story on CNN titled, "As nation gains, 'overweight' is relative":

Research shows that, when it comes to self-perception, the concept of "overweight" may be relative... people's perceptions of overweight have shifted, and "normal" is now heavier than it used to be.

If you look at the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys) data from 1988-1994 and compare that data with 1999-2004, you'll see that weight misperception based on BMI is decreasing among women but staying roughly the same for men. This means that women with normal BMIs from 1999-2004 were less likely to say they're overweight compared to women from 1988-1994. If you have a normal BMI, you're probably not overweight. There may be some exceptions to that rule, but I'm not going to get into that right now.

So, we know that the BMI of the U.S. population has been increasing over time. Based on the NHANES data comparison, it appears that people are getting used to being overweight and many people with high BMIs may not consider themselves to be overweight. So, are attitudes about weight shifting? Or, are people with normal BMIs feeling more "normal" as they see more people with elevated BMIs? To read the CNN story, click here.