Weight loss pill Belviq has been in the news recently. $$$

Forums › Health and fitness › Weight loss pill Belviq has been in the news recently. $$$

kingdragonfly

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#240239 28-Aug-2018 12:50

Weight loss pill Belviq has been in the news recently, because of a Harvard medical study. It's been around a while, and it looks to be expensive at several hundred dollars per month, for a few KG weight-loss.

It is US FDA approved, but here's the last mention I can find in NZ from 2012:

"Medsafe has not received an application for consent to distribute Belviq in New Zealand, Ministry of Health media advisor Anna Chalmers said.

Before a medicine is approved here an application must be lodged outlining its safety, quality and efficacy."

Here's some info from WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-164439/belviq-oral/details

Belviq
GENERIC NAME(S): Lorcaserin

"Lorcaserin is used with a doctor-approved exercise, behavior change, and reduced-calorie diet program to help you lose weight.

It is used by certain overweight people, such as those who are obese or have weight-related medical problems. Losing weight and keeping it off can lessen the many health risks that come with obesity, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a shorter life.

Lorcaserin belongs to a class of drugs known as serotonin receptor agonists.
It is thought to work by affecting a certain part of the brain that helps control your appetite.
...
Side Effects
Nausea, dry mouth, headache, dizziness, constipation, or tiredness may occur.
...
Precautions
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: diabetes, heart problems (such as heart valve disease, heart failure, slow heartbeat, heart block), kidney problems, liver problems, conditions that can increase the risk of prolonged/painful erections in men (such as Peyronie's disease, deformed penis, sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, leukemia)."

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/27/weight-loss-drug-belviq-not-linked-to-heart-problems-finds-study

Weight-loss pill hailed as 'holy grail' in fight against obesity

US study of 12,000 people shows drug lorcaserin does not increase risk of serious heart problems

"A weight-loss pill has been hailed as a potential “holy grail” in the fight against obesity after a major study showed it did not increase the risk of serious heart problems.

Researchers say lorcaserin is the first weight-loss drug to be deemed safe for heart health with long-term use. Taken twice a day, the drug is an appetite suppressant which works by stimulating brain chemicals to induce a feeling of fullness.

A US study saw 12,000 people who were either obese or overweight given the pills or a placebo – with those who took the drug shedding an average of 4kg (9lbs) in 40 months.

Further analysis showed no big differences in tests for heart valve damage. "

tdgeek

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#2080278 28-Aug-2018 14:09

My personal opinion, but 4Kg in 40 months?

I feel this is all that is needed "a doctor-approved exercise, behavior change, and reduced-calorie diet program to help you lose weight."

Medicine is a wonderful thing for humans, but losing weight doesn't need pills. Gradual reduction in meal sizes, no snacks or low cal snacks, reduce the baddies such as sweet drinks, alcohol, and even a small amount of daily exercise. I read yesterday, a very short active exercycle ride is far better then these long walks, and less time intensive https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/106439553/michael-mosley-reveals-the-fast-road-to-fitness

IMO it also encourages easy fixes

MikeAqua

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#2080301 28-Aug-2018 14:49

So if you take a pill, eat less and exercise more you lose weight.

4kg in a bit over three years is sweet FA - for an obese person.

I would expect that in the first two months of an obese person starting a diet and exercise regime.

Mike

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#2080303 28-Aug-2018 14:51

As usual, the pharmaceutical industry overstates the potential of a medication. To describe this particular pill as a "possible Holy Grail for weight loss" is clearly absurd. You just need to know that a months treatment costs in excess of $250 for the projected (and average) weight loss of 0.1 KG during that same month! Whoopee!

tdgeek

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#2080306 28-Aug-2018 15:00

MikeAqua:

So if you take a pill, eat less and exercise more you lose weight.

4kg in a bit over three years is sweet FA - for an obese person.

I would expect that in the first two months of an obese person starting a diet and exercise regime.

1. Go to bank to deposit $250 saved on the pill, thats a 20 minute walk to begin with

2. eat less and exercise more you lose weight (as above)

3. In addition to 2. repeat 1. every 1st of the month

Reserve 10% commission for me for my breakthrough, never been said before, ideas. :-)

MikeAqua

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#2080315 28-Aug-2018 15:11

tdgeek:

MikeAqua:

So if you take a pill, eat less and exercise more you lose weight.

4kg in a bit over three years is sweet FA - for an obese person.

I would expect that in the first two months of an obese person starting a diet and exercise regime.

Or

1. Go to bank to deposit $250 saved on the pill, thats a 20 minute walk to begin with

2. eat less and exercise more you lose weight (as above)

3. In addition to 2. repeat 1. every 1st of the month

Reserve 10% commission for me for my breakthrough, never been said before, ideas. :-)

For $250 I'd come round and yell "put down the spoon and get off the couch you fat "

Worked when I did it to myself.

Mike

kingdragonfly

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#2080372 28-Aug-2018 18:16

I tried a different perscription medicine: Orlistat / Xenical / Alli.

It works by blocking the enzyme that breaks down fats in your diet. So any fat you eat goes through undigested.

Supposed to work great IF you stop eating fat, which makes it as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

It made every bowel movement into a combination of Russian Roulette plus the 50 meter running dash.

And this

Batman

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#2080379 28-Aug-2018 18:42

this is how medical studies work

take lots of people, say 12,000

give them some treatment A vs some treatment B

decide on what you want to look for, eg weight loss

plan a statistical test

if the p value comes back as "<0.05" you have a winner winner chicken dinner

doesn't matter what the absolute difference is as long as the number is <0.05 many doctors are happy, and if it is 0.05 or more, many doctors are unhappy

which i think is quite dumb. presumably the FDA was happy with the p number.

i don't know what study this comparing this stuff to. 4kg in 40 months! if you compare this drug with breathing air i think you will find no difference! as people age, the lose muscle mass (and to a much lesser extent bone density), so you could well lose 4kg just by doing nothing (but not sure if 3 years is enough to lose 4kg of muscle mass)

i propose eating a chicken sandwich with salmonella and you will lose 4kg in 4 hours.

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

tdgeek

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#2080528 29-Aug-2018 07:04

Batman:

i propose eating a chicken sandwich with salmonella and you will lose 4kg in 4 hours.

That would work! A couple of times I was laid up with the flu for three days. Goodbye 2kg each time. Eating bugger all works, just as eating less with a few tickles of exercise works. Its merely a numbers game, calories in minus calories used. But no money to be made there