Of the many articles I perused over lunch, two caught my eye.
The first concerns the potential of a new drug called rimonabant to trigger sustained weight loss in individuals. Trials are promising, and some are even touting it as a wonder drug that has potential to combat smoking as well as cut the risk of diabetes. A case of promising too much?
The second concerns an alternate way to combat obesity – this time by focusing on the eating side of the equation. By using fibre pills containing PGX (PolyGlycoplex) – a compound that can absorb 600 times its weight, people eat less. Participants typically eat these pills before meals and feel full longer and lose weight over a longer period of time. My initial take is that this is a better method of combatting obesity for two reasons:
- Prevention vs. cure
- No diet – weight gain – depression cycle
- Potential to be manufactured very cheaply