According to FDA findings, the Meridia diet pill is not safe for heart patients. This includes people with a history of abnormal heart rhythm, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and PAD (peripheral arterial disease). Meridia is manufactured by Abbott and contains a drug called sibutramine. This drug is designed to aid weight loss by telling the brain that the person is full to prevent overeating.
The Controversy:
It's not exactly uncommon to hear that the FDA has changed their position on whether a drug is safe. The interesting thing is that in other parts of the world, health authorities are taking a stronger stand against Meridia. In a press release on January 21, 2010, the European Medicines Agency has pulled the drug off the market entirely, telling their doctors not to prescribe Meridia to anyone, whether they have heart disease or not.
My Take On It:
As an exercise physiologist and health educator, I tend to lean towards natural and safe ways to remedy weight and health problems. In my experience, there are two main reasons why people turn to diet pills: they've been unsuccessful with diet and exercise or they're not willing to do the hard work of eating right and working out.
To those people that desire a quick fix, I say to you that this latest ban on a weight loss pill is more evidence of the fact that drugs are not the cure-all that you think they are. At some point, you're going to have to learn to eat in moderation and change your behaviors and attitudes toward food and exercise. After all, do you want to have to take a pill for the rest of your life? That's risky and expensive. Your body was made to fix it's own problems if you fuel and maintain it the right way.
To those people that have really tried to eat right and exercise but just can't seem to make it work for them, I say to get the right information in the first place, indentify your barriers to real change and don't go it alone. See a registered dietitian and a licensed counselor or psychologist to get an eating plan tailored to you and figure out what your emotional barriers to change are. If you have a medical condition already, your insurance may cover most or all of the bill.
Are You Thinking of Taking a Diet Pill?
If so, you're not alone which is the reason these diet drugs are big business. While there are still other diet pills that have the stamp of approval from the FDA, perhaps you should consider the natural ways to help you lose weight. Even if you're already taking a diet pill, these tips could help increase the effectiveness of your overall weight loss plan.
Prevent Overeating the Natural Way By:
1. Having a glass of water before you eat. This helps your stomach to expand which tells your brain that you're full.
2. Slowing down, for Pete's sake! I heard a popular weight loss guru say to chew each bite about 50 times or some crazy number like that. I don't think you have to go that far but it helps to never eat while standing up, set your fork down between each bite and really concentrate on how the food tastes.
3. Make fiber your friend. Fiber helps you feel full, lowers your cholesterol and improves your colon health. It's the triple threat your diet plan may be missing.
4. Stop skipping meals, especially breakfast. You're setting yourself up to binge when you skip meals. You're crippling your ability to resist junky, fatty foods when you let yourself get too hungry. If you don't have time to eat, pack snacks and keep them in the car, your purse or at your desk. Here's a list of heart healthy snack foods that lend themselves to easy travel.
What Are Your Thoughts?
Are you taking a diet pill or thinking about it? If so, which group do you belong to: the "microwave results" team or the "I'm fed up" team? Do you have questions about what you may be doing wrong? If so, drop me a line in the comments section below. Maybe you don't agree that the diet pill decision is that black and white. If so, let me know.
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