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OBESITY AND THE SEARCH FOR THE MAGIC PILL
Obesity—An ill in search of a magic pill
As the problem of obesity turn increasingly murkier around the world, the hunt for a magic remedy to tackle the malady looks far elusive.
21 December 2005: With nearly 70% of the people turning fatter, obesity has become a serious concern in the United States. Not only in the US, diseases resulting from excessive body weight is an area which warrant immediate attention in several major economies of the world today.
It is known fact that obesity causes many health disorders such as cancers, heart diseases, type II diabetes, hypertension, stroke etc. And many leading pharmaceutical companies maintain a drug portfolio to address obesity related conditions. With more and more companies are entering into the fray, obesity becomes one of the hottest targets of pharmaceutical industry at present.
In the US alone, the weight loss market is estimated at about $50 billion. Already, there are many options to shed flab available in the market including dietary supplements and concoctions. Among the wide range of anti-obesity drugs under development are anorectic drugs (drugs that suppress appetite), drugs that inhibit the peptide hormone ghrelin produced in the stomach when empty, anti-obesity drugs that act on the gastrointestinal-brain axis, anti-obesity drugs that inhibit the absorption of fat in the intestines ( e.g., Xenical (Orlistat) from Roche Pharmaceuticals), drugs that alter metabolism, chemicals that may inhibit fatty acid synthesizing enzymes, drugs that increase diet-induced thermogenesis etc.
Even as so many therapeutics in and out of the research pipeline, there remains a question -- is there or will there be a magic pill for the obesity ill? Some experts strongly hold the view that there is no such magic bullet to deal with obesity as of now. Nor that such a wonder drug will be a reality in the near future. "A magic pill will have to be a combination of compounds that have efficacy at most of these obesity therapeutic targets. This is theoretically possible, but I would be shocked if the adverse effects of such a drug combination do not include precipitous death,’’ experts opine.
The best way, according to them, to win the battle against bulge is structural life style changes with diet at its core. The fight against obesity will be usually a long drawn one. Unless, each person realise the need for modifying his or her lifestyle, it will be tough to lose weight and maintain it.
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