Qsymia Rates Best Among New Weight-Loss Medications Recently Approved By FDA
Meanwhile, news outlets report on other news related to the fight against obesity including why it's so difficult to keep weight off after a big loss, the danger of undernourishment even for those who are overweight and the FDA approves a new surgical technique.
LA Times:
Experts Rated Weight-Loss Drugs And Qsymia Came Out On Top
Over the past four years, the FDA has, with great deliberation, approved four new drugs for weight loss. While some Americans are using the new medications — which go by the commercial names Belviq, Qsymia, Contrave and Saxenda — many patients continue to use Orlistat, now an over-the-counter weight-loss drug first approved by the FDA in 1999 and known commercially as Alli. ...Qsymia, the first of the four new weight-loss drugs to be approved, fared best in promoting the loss of 5% of body weight in patients taking it. (Healy, 6/14)
The Modesto Bee:
'Biggest Loser' Researcher Explains Why Weight Loss Won't Stick
(Armando) Gonzalez, who offers weight-loss counseling under the name Dr. Mondo, spoke just weeks after the release of new research about NBC reality show "The Biggest Loser" revealing that the majority of contestants who shed serious pounds during the program gained most or all of it back after returning home. A New York Times article on the finding has caused outcry among viewers, leaving many weight loss hopefuls to wonder if they're fighting a losing battle. Gonzalez was not part of the recent study, but he conducted his own research on "Biggest Loser" contestants while writing his graduate dissertation in 2009. He conducted interviews with "Biggest Loser" participants and found that about 50 percent of people kept the weight off, while the other 50 percent gain it back. (Caiola, 6/15)
The Modesto Bee:
Yes, You Can Be Obese And Undernourished, Too
Obesity and overweight are “a staggering global burden” that should be classified as malnutrition, according to a new study. The 2016 Global Nutrition Report found that 2 billion of the world’s 7 million people suffer from micronutrient malnutrition, which means they regularly don’t get enough essential vitamins and minerals in their diets. This includes people who are underweight because they don’t have access to enough food, but also includes people who are obese and just not eating the right foods. (Welsh, 6/14)
The Associated Press:
FDA Approves Stomach Draining Obesity Treatment
A new weight loss device offers a novel approach to cutting calories: draining them from the stomach before they are fully digested. The AspireAssist system consists of a thin tube implanted in the stomach, connecting to an outside port on the skin of the belly. (Perrone, 6/14)