Big Pharma finding it harder to trim the fat…

Hot News frum Big-Mouth Broad Casting; Dec. 12, 2008

Dr. Alan Inglis;

That spare tire around your waist is more than spare change to Big Pharma. The drug companies are spending piles of money trying to develop new medications catering to America's growing obesity epidemic.

Problem is, too many of these drugs are dangerous, just plain ineffective – or both.

A while ago I told you about Acomplia, which was banned in Europe (and never approved in the United States) because of serious psychological side effects.

Now, Pfizer is halting tests of a drug called CP-945,598. Pfizer's press release was written in Big Pharma code – it talked about "risk/benefit profile" and "regulatory requirements" without going into specifics.

Let me read between the lines for you on that one – I'll bet my last dollar that the early results showed some very troubling side effects.

Proving that failures, like many things, come in threes, this fall Merck ceased work on its own experimental obesity drug, taranabant, because of concerns about depression and anxiety at high doses.

It may seem uncouth to celebrate Big Pharma failings, but it galls me that there are still people out there promising – or trying to promise – miracle solutions for weight loss. These guys aren't too much better than the carnival barkers standing on soap boxes, trying to sell you some wonder tonic. It's truly extraordinary that drugs remain a cornerstone of weight loss treatments. They rarely account for more than a few pounds off at an exorbitant expense that benefits no one except the drug companies.

Sadly, it's not just drug companies getting in on this act. Surgeons are slicing up and tying off stomachs at a record pace, in what is commonly known as gastric bypass surgery. This surgery not only wrecks many lives – often it kills.

If you're waiting for the next miracle breakthrough that's going to let you eat whatever you want, not exercise, and stay slim, let me end the suspense for you – it's not coming (no matter how much Big Pharma wants you to believe it is).

The good news is that there is a solution for losing those stubborn pounds: hard work. Get off the couch, start ditching the sugary, processed foods, and don't binge eat. Try some simple lifestyle changes, and I bet you'll find better – and longer-lasting – results than the drug companies (or a surgeon's knife) will ever deliver.