Alli, Orlistat, Meridia, Xenical, these are just a few of many diet drugs that have been and are being prescribed by physicians to help their patients lose weight. In the year 2000 it was estimated that Americans spent $34.7 billion dollars on weight loss and diet products/services. Today the estimate has grown to over $60 billion per year, with over $2.0 billion of that being spent on weight loss drugs alone. Sure these drugs (when combined with a ‘healthy’ diet and exercise program…), may be effective, but are they really worth the cost?
A recent study, published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, put a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet up against the diet drug Orlistat combined with a low-fat diet – the results…
The low-carb ketogenic diet proved to be more effective for weight loss and had a greater, statistically significant effect on lowering blood pressure. Additionally, improvements in insulin, glucose and HbA1C levels improved onlyin the low-carb group. Even though weight loss and glycemic parameter data differences were not significant, this study demonstrates that drugs are not necessary to successfully lose weight. And given more time, the results may be more striking.
Just Say No… to weight loss drugs, diet programs and ‘engineered’ diet foods – spend your cash on high quality paleo foods instead. The best part – no laundry list of side effects!
Amy Kubal
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[...] August 2, 2010 Just Say No! [...]