What You Need To Know News

A WEIGHT-loss pill waiting for approval for use in Australia has been suspended in Europe over concerns it may be linked to suicide and sudden death.

Health officials said the risk of side effects from the drug, Acomplia, outweighed its benefits.

Seven deaths, including a suicide, have been associated with the anti-obesity treatment, which also doubles the risk of psychiatric disorders, the Daily Mail reported today.

Around 2500 adverse reactions have been reported by British patients since it became available to private buyers two years ago.

US authorities refused to approve the drug amid mounting scientific evidence of the suicide dangers.
Acomplia was approved four months ago as a “last-chance” solution on the National Health Service by the British Government’s health body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Although warnings on packets about the higher risk of depression, anxiety and other serious side effects were strengthened, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has decided to suspend the medicines licence for Acomplia because the “benefits no longer outweigh its risks”, the Daily Mail said.

‘New data from post-marketing experience and ongoing clinical trials indicated that serious psychiatric disorders may be more common than in the clinical trials.’

Acomplia, also known as rimonabant, was licensed for obese people, as well as overweight patients who have type 2 diabetes or cholesterol problems.

The drug’s maker, Sanofi-aventis, said”: The company will comply with the European authorities request to temporarily suspend the marketing authorisation of Acomplia in obese and overweight patients and will make every effort to actively support patients and health care professionals in this process.”

Sanofi-aventis has applied to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration to sell the drug here and a decision was expected early next year.

A spokeswoman for Sanofi-aventis in Australia said those plans were now on hold pending the final decision of the EMA after it receives more data from the company.
Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24545607-1702,00.html

Obesity may increase with each generation because overweight mothers give birth to offspring who have a tendency to become heavier, researchers have claimed.

A team of scientists believe that the genetic mechanisms that control the weight of a baby may be changed if the mother is obese before and during pregnancy.

This change could lead in turn to the baby becoming heavier than normal.

Scientists in Houston, America, made the claim after studying the eating habits of several generations of mice.

Dr Robert Waterland from Baylor College of Medicine, led the study.

He explained: “There is an obesity epidemic in the United States and it’s increasingly recognised as a worldwide phenomenon.

“Why is everyone getting heavier and heavier?

“One hypothesis is that maternal obesity before and during pregnancy affects the establishment of body weight regulatory mechanisms in her baby.

“Maternal obesity could promote obesity in the next generation.”

The team split the mice, all of which had a genetic tendency to overeat, into two groups.

One group was provided with a normal diet while the other was provided with nutrient-supplemented diet.

The nutrients in the supplemented diet encouraged the process of DNA methylation - a chemical reaction that silences genes with the hope that it would render the over-eating gene inactive.

The mice on the normal diet gained weight with each generation while the mice on the altered diet stayed roughly the same size.

Dr Waterland explained: “We wanted to know if, even among genetically identical mice, maternal obesity would promote obesity in her offspring, and if the methyl-supplemented diet would affect this process.

“Indeed those on the regular diet got fatter and fatter with each generation. Those in the supplemented group however, did not.”

Dr Waterland said the research had led the team to believe that the process of DNA methylation plays an important role in the development of the region of the brain that regulates appetite - the hypothalamus.
Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1567852/obesity_may_rise_with_generations/

Diabetic patients who join a short-term weight management program can maintain the resultant weight loss on a long term basis and that to on their own, reveals a new study.

The study by researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston showed that diabetic patients, who enrolled in the Weight Achievement and Intensive Treatment (Why WAIT) program, successfully lost on average 24.6 pounds or 10.3 percent of their initial body weight during the 12-week program.

And after the one-year of follow-up period, the average weight loss was 18.2 pounds or 7.6 percent of initial body weight.

People have been waiting to see a longer term result of this novel program. Most people think that positive results of clinical trials around weight reduction in people with diabetes cannot be replicated in the real world and cannot give similar long-term results, said Osama Hamdy, M.D., Ph.D., director of the clinical obesity program at Joslin and the studys lead investigator.

This is going to change the way we treat diabetes and encourage us to move toward weight-based diabetes management rather than adding more medications.

The Why WAIT is a 12-week multidisciplinary diabetes weight management program designed for clinical practice and is mostly covered by insurance.

In the study, 85 participants were followed during the 12-week program and for a year afterwards when they managed their weight on their own.

The results indicated that 55 percent of participants continuously lost weight throughout the follow-up period and managed excellent diabetes and blood pressure control on less medications. Also, Hamdy said that patients saved average 561 dollars per year on diabetes medications alone.

The Why WAIT program included a change in diabetes medications to enhance weight reduction, structured dietary intervention with fewer than 40 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates and 30 percent of calories from protein and meal replacement drinks, an exercise program with an emphasis on strength training and weekly educational and support sessions.
Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/short-term-weight-loss-program-helps-diabetics-keep-off-the-pounds-long-term_10058063.html

Weight loss is not just a physical act. The most successful people who lose weight and keep it off are those who adapt a long-term lifestyle change that is a good fit for them.

It is something we all have heard of before but certainly not a simple change process to begin. That’s the psychology of weight loss. To get to the stage of actually changing your lifestyle, you will enter a tough journey, but not an impossible one. It is a step-by-step process. Remember, the journey to finish a marathon begins with the first step.

When entering a weight-loss program, be mindful to avoid ones that promote their program with “x” amount of weight loss for “x” amount of money. For example, “Lose 20 pounds in two weeks for just $19.99.” To avoid a disaster, look at the program’s outcome data. Look to see that it gives you tools to maintaining your weight loss, and, most importantly, does it teach one to be accountable to oneself.

A healthy weight-loss program is not one that is just low in caloric intake, but uses several tools to help you achieve your lifestyle changes.

Excessive weight is what I call a multifactoral or multimodal health problem. Your body is a complex piece of machinery. Excess weight is related to many factors (e.g., biological, genetics, psychological and social). It is not as simple as “eating less and exercising more.” If excess weight is multifactoral, then the approach to losing weight must be multimodal.

One must appreciate and be mindful not only of the physical battle ahead but the emotional/psychological one as well. Choose a program that will help you on all levels that has multiple resources, which could include a physician, psychologist, dietitian/nutritionist and other support groups or systems.

The process of weight loss should start with honestly evaluating your readiness to change. For many people, weight gain occurs for many reasons and over some period of time.

All of the factors that have lead to the weight gain need to be evaluated and addressed to promote the most individually tailored weight loss treatment plan. With this in mind, you should think about everything that has lead to your weight gain and list those reasons (e.g., stress, genetics, poor eating habits, time management, etc).

Think about the relationship you have developed with food and eating. Include the surroundings of where and when you usually eat: in the car, in front of the TV, when you are stressed, on your way to work.

After you have listed and examined all of these issues, ask yourself this important question: “Am I truly ready to change my behaviors?” The first answer commonly is “yes” when I ask my patients; however, it is easier to identify whether you truly are ready for change by using Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross’ Stages of Change Model, which puts your situation in perspective.

There are six stages of change that have been identified, which are crucial in tailoring treatment. Research has shown there are specific techniques and processes that help people move from one stage to the next.

• Precontemplation: In this stage, you want to lose weight but you have not really thought about how to change yet.

• Contemplation: You are thinking about change but sitting on the fence on what to do.

• Preparation/pre-action: You start actively looking for resources, programs or other tools geared to help reach your weight-loss goals.

• Action: You are fully engaged in the weight-loss process and working a program tailored for you.

• Maintenance: You have maintained your healthy weight loss, being mindful of body and emotion for a lifestyle change with long-term effects.

• Relapse prevention: Many people do relapse similar to other behavioral problems by resuming old habits and eating behaviors. In this stage, it is important to identify what the trigger was to this relapse and tackle that head-on.

Find out where you are. Donot assume you are ready to lose weight based on what you say or the pressure you feel fromfriends, family and society. Identifywhat stage you are in andaim to get to the next stage untilyou begin changing yourlifestyle. There are countless bad weeks, and there’s never a right time to start a plan, so avoid that mind-set, focus on the stage you are in and work toward the stage you want to be in.

Source: http://www.southtownstar.com/losetowin/822831,030408toyourhealth.article