New Anti-obesity Pill Helps Weight Loss

Weight Loss Pill

It could be the next big pharmaceutical blockbuster and a study out today shows promising results for Rimonabant, a new anti-obesity pill that works on the same biological triggers that give marijuana smokers the munchies.

The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports a “modest but sustained” drop in poundage for overweight people on the medicine, and few side effects.

But there is also skepticism among experts about whether another pill can effectively combat the Western world’s growing epidemic of fat – or whether it will divert patients from the lifestyle changes they must make.

“I think that’s a big danger – you have this magic bullet, or what you think is a magic bullet. You’ve got this solution and you forget everything else,” said Dr. Baiju Shah, an endocrinologist with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto, reports National Post.

According to Reuters, the drug is awaiting an approval decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However there has been speculation that it could become the world’s first blockbuster anti-obesity medicine, with analysts estimating sales topping $3 billion a year.

Tuesday’s report, carried in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on a study involving more than 3,000 patients that began in 2001 and also involved diet and exercise changes. The basic findings were released at an American Heart Association meeting in late 2004.

The final study said the drug plus diet and exercise “promoted modest but sustained reductions in weight and waist circumference and favorable changes in cardiometabolic risk factors” such as cholesterol and triglycerides.

Up to 48 percent of the patients in the study saw a weight loss of 5 percent or more after one year, depending on the dose of the drug.

In addition, the report said, the favorable changes in cholesterol and triglycerides “appeared to be approximately twice that expected from weight loss alone,” suggesting the drug may have some direct impact on fat metabolism beyond that caused by slimming down.

New Study Reinforces Dairy’s Value in Reduced Calorie Diet

Low Calorie Diet

Researchers Found that Adults in Year-Long Study Lost Weight with Dairy

You don’t need to cut dairy from your diet to achieve weight loss success, suggests a new study published in the August issue of Obesity Research.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that obese adults can include up to 4 servings of dairy foods per day in a low calorie diet, combined with moderate exercise, and still lose a significant amount of weight and body fat.

This new randomized clinical trial compared the weight loss results of 72 obese adults following three different reduced-calorie diets: a “high-dairy” diet that included 4 servings of dairy foods (milk, yogurt or cheese) each day; a “high-dairy/high fiber/low glycemic index” diet that included 4 servings of dairy each day; and a “moderate-dairy” or standard diet that included 2 servings of dairy foods each day.

After nearly one year (48 weeks), the participants in all three groups experienced significant weight loss and body fat loss, providing further evidence that dieters don’t need to cut dairy from their diet to lose weight successfully.

While all groups lost similar amounts of weight and body fat, the participants in the high-dairy groups who most closely followed the prescribed diet and exercise plan also consumed 4 daily servings of dairy and about 100 to 150 more calories each day. Even with the higher calorie intake, they still lost the same amount of weight as the dieters who consumed 2 servings of dairy a day and fewer calories.

Previously published clinical trials have found that overweight and obese adults who consumed 3 servings of dairy each day were able to lose twice as much weight and fat as those on low-dairy diets (1 serving or less), when the groups had similar reductions in calories. Additionally, numerous population-based studies have shown a connection between a diet adequate in calcium and lower body weight.

“These new findings are important to help us gain further information about the dairy/weight loss connection, which has been reported in several clinical studies,” said co-author Michael Zemel, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee. “On the whole, research shows that when comparing groups that have similar calorie reduction, those who consume adequate dairy see better results than those who don’t.”

Past studies indicate that the weight loss effect may be the strongest when dairy and calcium intake is increased from inadequate (l serving or less) to adequate levels, or 3 servings each day. The effect appears to be more modest when increasing dairy intake from moderate levels, or about 2 servings a day, to higher levels.

“It’s not surprising that the weight-loss benefit of dairy was less apparent in this study since the methodology explored ‘moderate’ vs. ‘high’ dairy consumption instead of ‘inadequate’ vs. ‘adequate’ dairy consumption,” explained Zemel.

The Dietary Guidelines recommend 3 servings of milk and milk products daily, yet most Americans are only getting half of that amount. “The evolving science showing that dairy intake can increase weight loss in the context of a reduced-calorie diet is just one more reason for Americans to get their 3-A- Day of Dairy,” said Stephanie Smith, RD, MS, National Dairy Council. Because dairy products naturally contain calcium, protein and other essential nutrients, getting three servings each day improves the nutritional quality of the diet, whether you are dieting or not.

For more information on the nutritional benefits of dairy foods, visit http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org In addition, delicious recipes and tips on how to get 3-A-Day of Dairy are available at http://www.3aday.org

The American Dairy Association/National Dairy Council (ADA/NDC) is managed by Dairy Management, Inc., the nonprofit domestic and international planning and management organization responsible for increasing demand for U.S.- produced dairy products on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.

Many continue to eat high-fat American diet even when trying to lose weight

High-Fat Diets and Losing Weigh

More than half of dieters ignore standard recommendations of reducing their fat intake and increasing carbohydrate consumption, according to findings from a Pitt team led by Lora Burke, Ph.D., F.A.A.N., principle investigator of the study and professor of nursing and epidemiology.

The study, “Dietary Practices Among People Seeking Weight Loss Treatment,” used a 38-item questionnaire to identify dieters’ eating habits. Based on those responses, the researchers discovered that 55 percent of the individuals surveyed showed eating patterns consistent with the typical American diet, which is comprised of more than 40 percent fat and less than 45 percent carbohydrates.

The study also examined the eating patterns of a number of sub-categories, which also resulted in findings of note. Non-white participants were likely to have higher fat and cholesterol intake, and unemployed participants had scores that indicated higher cholesterol-saturated fat intake. Additionally, individuals with no education beyond high school consumed fewer carbohydrates.

The study’s findings suggest that socio-demographic factors should be considered by health care providers attempting to improve their patients’ eating and dietary habits.