Karishma Shah
In June 2012, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved marketing of the weight reduction drug Belviq (Lorcaserin hydrochloride), but the same drug application was formally rejected by the European Medicine Agency (EMA) by claiming that “the benefits of Belviq did not outweigh its risks” (Wolfe, 2013). While, I believe that Belviq have proven to be safe and effective in reducing weight in particular group of population, I strongly disagree with its market approval by knowing the fact that the potential benefits of Belviq do not outweigh the potential risks associated with its long term use in overweight and obese individuals.
The FDA approved Belviq on the basis of three randomized, placebo-controlled trials including right around 8,000 obese and overweight patients, with and without type 2 diabetes, who were given the medication for somewhere around 52 and 104 weeks. The results of this trials demonstrates that individuals who take Belviq for a year can expect to lose just 3 to 3.7 percent of their weight (FDA, 2012). In one trial, patients taking Belviq did lose up to 5 percent of their body weight following 12 months, however gained back 25 percent of it by the end of the second year (Consumer Reports, 2013). More important, Belviq has insignificant 2B serotonin receptor activity, yet the FDA
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In the case of Belviq, it clearly seems that the risks associated with the drug exceed the benefits. In summary, my belief is that while approving such drug is likely to help reducing weight in particular group of patients, it could also lead to more dangerous threat to health in its long-term usage. For this reason, I suggest that Belviq should get its market approval only after the applicant further justifies the overall risk/benefit
As per Healthy People 2020 most Americans do not consume healthy diets and are not physically active at levels needed to maintain proper health. As a result of these behaviors the nation has experienced a dramatic increase in obesity in the U.S with 1 in 3 adults (34.0%) and 1 and 6 children and adolescents (16.2%) are obese. In addition to grave health consequences of being overweight and obese. It significantly raises medical cost and causes a great burden on the U.S medical care delivery system ("Healthy People 2020," 2014, p. 1).
“Obesity is a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S adult population (approximately 78.6 million Americans). The number of Americans with obesity had steadily increase since 1960, a trend that has slowed down in recent years but show no sign of reversing”.
Obesity remains an extremely serious issue worldwide. Once considered a problem for wealthier counties, overweight and obesity are now dramatically increasing in low and middle income countries (WHO, 2011). In American, the rates of obesity continue to soar. CDC (2009) recognizes obesity as a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other health problems. According to NHANES over two-thirds of the US are overweight or obese, and over one-third are obese (CDC, 2009). Treatment for this illness varies; it may include the incorporation of diet, exercise, behavior modification, medication, and surgery. Since there is no single cause of all overweight and obesity, there is no single way to prevent or treat overweight
To assist patients who have a (BMI) of >30 to achieve a weight loss of at least 5%.
In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous burden on both the health and healthcare of those affected. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. According to the Centers of Disease Control, as of 2013, 34.9% of our population is considered overweight or obese. America is the richest yet the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein, 1994).
Obesity is becoming an increasingly significant health concern in the United States, nearly to the point of epidemic proportions. To be considered obese, one’s body weight must be at least 20% over their ideal body weight; unfortunately with this definition, over 30% of all Americans are obese. Alarmingly, approximately
Obesity is one of the most rapidly growing health epidemics in the United States and affects more than 60 million people. Despite recent efforts to understand and treat obesity, there has been little success in reversing the rising trend. There is convincing evidence that obesity is directly related to many health risks. As a matter of fact, morbidly obese people are at a high risk for weight related illnesses, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease. However, research confirms that long-term weight loss success can help to significantly reduce these weight related health risks (Brethauer).
Our life is something that is so precious. Every choice we make impacts our life wether it be physically or mentally. When we choose to make poor life choices, it will reflect on us as individuals. Poor choices in what we consumed or how active we are will lead to a life that can lead to an early death. Obesity is an epidemic health problem that has been one of the leading causes to death. The disease itself causes sever health conditions as well as mental health issues.no one wants to become obese, but in today’s society we have been given the perfect recipe that will land us in a fight for our life. Obesity is not something that simply happens, but a lifetime of poor choices. We must discover the source of obesity and attack the health issue from the primary leading factors. We start with the source in order to help improve the lives of people everywhere who are battling this disease, as well as those who are predisposed to a higher chance of developing it.
Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).
Obesity, the condition of being severely overweight, is a serious issue in the United States that is gradually beginning to affect more and more citizens. In recent years, the number of Americans suffering from this chronic disease has significantly increased. Researchers have found that nearly one third of the U.S. population is considered overweight and, on average, three hundred thousand individuals die yearly as a result of obesity (Hollands et al. 2). When one participates in little to no physical activity and their diet consists mostly of high fat foods, chances are they will gain weight. If someone becomes obese, they may develop serious health related issues that, in some cases,
Obesity rates in the United States are alarming, with more than one-third of U.S. adults and 17% of children qualifying as obese with a Body Mass Index greater than 30.0 (Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2015). Even more frightening is the growth rate of this crippling health epidemic; between 1980 and 2014, obesity has doubled for adults and tripled for children (CDC, 2015). The physical consequences of rising obesity rates in our country include an abundance of physical ailments including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, elevated cholesterol, and even some cancers. Additionally, obesity-related health care costs to our country are estimated at $147 billion annually, plus the costs of productivity lost at
It was merely a decade ago that the obesity epidemic was thought to only be a minor problem and had only alarmed a small number of endocrinologists interested by the size of the situation (James, 2008). However today, the problem of obesity is vast with more awareness of its presence by doctors and individuals alike. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, “More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese (CDC, 2014)”. These numbers are outrageous and eye opening, leaving millions looking for a solution to this troubling epidemic. Obesity is not simply a cosmetic flaw as some might think, but is actually a very dangerous state of being for any individual to sustain long-term. Mentioned further in
al. the Centers for Disease Control found that “roughly 60 percent of adults are now overweight” (530). From this fact we can learn two important things: i) a fairly large number of people suffer from obesity, and ii) the reasons for the significant change in weight, with HFCS in the lead.
Obesity is one of the most common problems faced by people today. Since thirty-four million Americans are estimated to be obese, one out of every three Americans must live with this disorder. Obesity is defined as a body weight consisting of 20% or more above the standard ideal weight (http://www-med.stanford.edu/school/DGIM/Teaching/Modules/obesity.html#RTFToC12). In order to reduce obesity, most invest in diet and exercise programs. Recently, liquid diets have been positively modified, thus rising in popularity since their fall out during the late 1970’s. Out of the twenty million dieters, about one billion dollars will be spent this year on either medically sponsored liquid diets or over-the-counter liquid diet
There are only several other weight-loss options in the market competing with Metabical. The first is prescription drugs. These are prescribed for use only by obese and severely obese individuals. This meant that only individuals with BMI of over 30 who were prescribed weight-loss drugs were using appetite suppressants and fat-absorbing blockers. They had serious side effects associated as well, which meant only a doctor could approve them. But these prescription-drug options did not account for the overweight segment with