Monday, May 30, 2016
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The Whistle: Belviq...diet pill...delayed to the pharmacy shelv...
The Whistle: Belviq...diet pill...delayed to the pharmacy shelv...: Check out the story on a soon to be released weight loss drug in mondaymorning.com today. http://moneymorning.com/2013/03/27/once-its-...
Belviq...diet pill...delayed to the pharmacy shelves by the DEA!!! Good, more time to learn the truth!
Check out the story on a soon to be
released weight loss drug in mondaymorning.com today. http://moneymorning.com/2013/03/27/once-its-new-weight-loss-drug-hits-the-shelves-this-stock-is-headed-50-higher/
It speaks to the fact that the FDA approved
this long anticipated drug…but the DEA (yes, the Drug Enforcement Agency)
stepped in and slowed its release. The
DEA recommends the drug be released as a Schedule IV controlled substance because it has hallucinogenic properties and users could
develop psychiatric dependency on the drug.
The author of the article, Michael A.
Robinson, made one final comment that sums it up: ”Any drug that promises to slim down America
is one with a huge potential payout.” Seems
to be taking longer than anticipated to get those financial windfalls.
Promises,
promises…but to what end?
The new drug, Belviq
(lorcaserin), is made by Arena Pharmaceuticals and is promoted as an appetite
suppressant; an anorectic.
The FDA approved the medication for people who are obese (with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher) or who are overweight (with a BMI of 27 or above) and also have at least one weight-related health condition such as hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes.
Belviq is a serotonin 2C
receptor agonist. (Many antidepressants
and antipsychotic medications are SSRI’s).
So, drug information
suggests that the patient should be considered obese or overweight with health
issues and take the medication along with
diet and exercise. Oh…diet and exercise, too.
A significantly overweight
person must take this medication, diet, and exercise. How much will they lose and will they keep it
off long-term?
Well, after one year, about
5% starting weight is lost. In the
study, after a year of Belviq, diet, and exercise, the average weight loss was
12.5#. Arena Pharmaceuticals recommends discontinuing the drug if 5% of weight
is not lost in the first 3 months as it will unlikely promote meaningful weight
loss if it hasn’t worked by then.
So, a 5’3”, 250# woman taking Belviq, dieting,
and exercise can expect to lose 12.5 pounds in a year. After a year with diet, exercise, and the
drug..she would still weigh 237.5 pounds. Without the medication in trials, she
would expect to lose 7.5 pounds through diet and exercise.
**Less than 50% of dieters
without diabetes lost 5% of body weight (by recommendations, they should have
been off the medication after 3 months without a 5% loss in weight).
Longterm (between 2-3 years), lost weight is regained. When medication is stopped, weight is
regained.
Are there any Side
effects for this medication?
The most common side effects of Belviq in non-diabetic patients are headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth and constipation; in patients with diabetes, side effects include low blood sugar, headache, back pain, cough and fatigue.
*There
was also some concern that Belviq caused tumors in animals and heart-valve
defects in people. A similar serotonin-based drug that had been approved for
weight loss — fenfluramine — was removed from the market in 1997 because of the
same heart concerns. Patients who develop signs or symptoms of valvular
heart disease, including dyspnea, dependent edema, congestive heart failure, or
a new cardiac murmur while being treated with BELVIQ should be evaluated and discontinuation
of BELVIQ should be considered.
*Patients
treated with BELVIQ should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of
depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood
or behavior. Discontinue BELVIQ in patients who experience suicidal thoughts or
behaviors.
*Belviq
may cause cognition impairment….disturbances in attention or memory.
*Priapism:
Patients should seek emergency treatment if an
erection
lasts >4 hours.
So there you have it. The stock market awaits the release of this
marginally effective “weight loss drug.”
To be effective, it should be used with diet and exercise. It does not promote significant weight loss
for those who are obese or overweight and have weight related illness. If it doesn’t “work” in three months, it most
likely will not work. Weight is
typically regained if the patient stays the course. It should not be taken by those on certain
antidepressants or antipsychotic medications.
It may cause heart valve damage.
It may increase depression and suicidal thoughts. And…it may be related to impaired thoughts,
memory, and attention.
Worth it? I suppose that any weight loss drug is
financially “worth buying into” as there will likely be a windfall when it is
first mass advertised and prescribed. “Worth
buying into” health-wise? Patients will
have to make that decision. I hope they
make in an informed way.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics....Home of all US Registered Dietitians.....gets corporate sponsorship from....Coca-Cola???
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics....Mother ship to all US Registered Dietitians.....gets corporate sponsorship from....Pepsi, Coke, Mars, Corn Refiners????
Glance over
the processed foods and sugary drinks listed below.
ConAgra : Kids Cuisine, Chef Boyardee, Snack Pack, Fiddle Faddle, Banquet frozen dinners, Poppy Cock, Blue Bonnet and Parkay margarine, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Swiss Miss, Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, Crunch ‘n Munch, Manwich, Slim Jim, Hebrew National franks……
General Mills: Cereals like Count Chocula, Monsters, Trix, Lucky Charms…Pillsbury dough products/cookies/cakes, Haagen Daz ice cream, Hamburger Helper mixes, Totino’s pizza rolls, Jeno’s pizza products, Bugles, Fruit by the Foot….
Kellogg: Cheese-its, Pringles, Keebler Cookies, Rice Krispie treats, Pop Tarts, Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Puffs, Froot Loops, Chips Deluxe, Famous Amos Cookies,
Pepsi: Pepsi soft drinks, Sierra Mist, Tropicana Twister, Mountain Dew, Fritos, Lays, Sunchips, Aunt Jemima, Brisk, Gatorade, Quaker, Rice a Roni, Amp energy drink.
Coca- Cola: All Coke products, Monster energy drink, Nestea sweetened drinks, Bacardi mixers, Fuze, Utopia, Minute Maid, Barq’s, Mello Yello
Corn Refiner’s Association: high fructose corn syrup, sugar alcohols, dextrose (glucose), crystalline fructose, corn syrup.
Mars: M&M’s Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Uncle Ben’s, Dove
Next; try and guess the health association that get sponsorship and funding from these food manufacturers.
Do you know what AND is the acronym of? Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics…formerly known as the American Dietetic Association.
It’s true. The processed foods listed above, the very foods that are implicated in the obesity and diabetes epidemics in the US and around the world are manufactured by companies that sponsor and provide funding to the AND.
Who belongs to this newly renamed and powerful health association; AND? ALL Registered Dietitians.
I am a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator. I have been an RD for over 31 years. I have run the nutrition centers and developed the nutrition protocols for diabetes centers in hospitals, I have counseled thousands upon thousands of patients, and I have personally seen the ravages from the consumption of the foods listed above.
I’ve worked face to face with people suffering from obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol/triglycerides, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, GERD, infertility, depression/anxiety, ADD/ADHD, cancer, and the families of those with Alzheimer’s disease.
After years in the field, I realized that the diets AND recommended for weight reduction, diabetes, and the other listed diagnoses listed were not helping prevent or stop the progression of these diseases and began to suspect they might be worsening the problems.
I am not a rebel. I am not a rabble-rouser or a trouble maker. I am a medical nutrition therapist with a history of credibility and responsibility. I am deeply invested in the health and well-being of the people I counsel and the human race. And I am not afraid to say that I have had to step back from the “traditional” rhetoric of AND including the following fallacies:
The most recommended “Diabetes diet” used in our hospitals is over 55% carbohdydrate. Carbohydrate foods are often added to patient’s trays in the “right” amount. AND claims they don’t advocate any particular diet for diabetes, that a diet for those with diabetes should be individualized. How can everyone with diabetes have an individualized diet when the majority of diabetics will meet with an RD? The diet pamphlets you receive at your doctor’s office or sample menus recommended for those with type 2 diabetes all subscribe to the 55% carb rhetoric. Don’t believe that the AND doesn’t in reality of practice favor a particular diet for the masses with diabetes… The AND diet for diabetes is over 55% carb, 20ish percent protein, and 30ish percent fat. It is a carb- laden diet and it increases blood sugar, lipids, blood pressure, and weight. That’s the truth.
“A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate” and “Sugar is just another carbohydrate”. These statements are absolutely false. The grams of carbohydrate provided by low glyemic, high fiber foods do not operate the same way the grams of carbohydrate from sugar works inside the human body! That’s the truth.
“The low fat/low cholesterol diet is recommended to lower cholesterol.” Most people with elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides will find their cholesterol levels will eventually worsen on a low fat/low cholesterol diet and they will require the use of statins to “normalize”cholesterol.. This is because a low fat diet is a high carb diet. That’s the truth.
“Calorie ins – Calories out” for weight loss. For over 60% of those with a weight issue, a calories in/calories out approach will exacerbate weight gain.. Low calorie diets decrease metabolic rate and are higher in carbohydrate percentage. That’s the truth.
Calorie Counting is necessary for long term weight loss. Low calorie diets will never work for the majority of those who have weight loss issues as theirs is not a calorie issue, they are genetically predisposed to a hormonal imbalance of insulin. Low calorie diets = higher carb content = higher insulin = weight/fat gain. That’s the truth.
Decreasing carbohydrate intake is a “fad” and a lower carb diet is unhealthy . Over 60% of the population needs to significantly decrease carb intake to lower weight and cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure…as well as the medications required for these conditions. That’s the truth.
Take another look at the foods “produced or manufactured” by the food companies that sponsor educations programs for the AND and what do they all have in common?
Almost all the foods they produce are great sources of carbohydrate. Sweetened drinks, energy drinks, sugary cereals, pasta products, crackers, chips, candy, “fiddle faddle”, ice cream, cookies, cakes, jellies, jams, etc etc.
What nutrient is responsible for the obesity and diabetes epidemics? Carbohydrate.
If AND had a set of…guidelines…..you would assume they would support a diet protocol that would decrease the risk of obesity and diabetes. But; the diet that would stop the epidemics of obesity and diabetes and decrease the need for dependence on costly medications would also necessarily recommend AGAINST the products manufactured by AND financial supporters.
There is a diet and lifestyle program that does what we need to stop the epidemics of
AND has studied my program and analyzed it. They have found it to be medically and scientifically sound. And then….they did not report this to the public. I have asked to present the program at AND programs and been refused. I have asked to have an informative article on the AND site and they refused. I am an RD, CDE, and member of AND.
I have no financial backers. I am at a point in my very long career that I am not wary of the wrath of my professional organization. I am an advocate for medical nutrition therapy. My mission is to spread the truth regarding the only way that over 60% of the population can lose weight/fat and get healthy.
I am not reporting or promoting the program for financial gain. I am not doing this for fame…if anything, I will become the target of negative press from the “powers that be” in the hierarchy of medical associations, food manufacturers, etc.
I am reporting this because the program works and this really matters. People’s health and well-being are at stake. I have an obligation (as a health care provider and a fellow human being) to work for the betterment of society. And I see our society becoming heavier and sicker at alarming rates. Our children are now obese, diabetic, and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
I have had phenomenal success with over 6000 patients in my private practice , the book is a NY Times Bestseller, it is licensed for publication in 7 languages, it was named the 2010 diet program in the UK, and has a worldwide following. And yet….the AND has failed to recommend or endorse it….or even mention it.
Yes, there exists a proven way to lose weight, improve health/wellness, decrease medications, increase energy, improve quality of life.
It is not anything like what you’ve learned regarding weight loss or healthy eating…because what you’ve been told has been designed to make you fatter, sicker, and need more medical care as well as fuel the coffers of major food manufacturers.
Read about the program on www.themetabolismmiracle.com. If you have diabetes, read about it on www.thediabetesmiracle.com.
I have closed my private practice in medical nutrition therapy to work directly with the online support group for these programs: www.miracle-ville.com. I am on this site daily. I personally answer the questions. There is amazing support, camaraderie, latest Metabolism Miracle news, program tweaks and updates, exclusive videos, chat, recipes.
The program: The Metabolism Miracle
People with Pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes: The Diabetes Miracle
Support group: www.miracle-ville.com
Sites: www.themetabolismmiracle.com and www.thediabetesmiracle.com
Blogs: www.dianekress/wordpress.com/ and www.thewhistleblog/blogspot.com/
Twitter and LinkedIn: DianeKress
The Truth.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
"I'm going gluten free! Everyone else is...." But why???
Gluten Enteropathy, Gluten
Sensitivity, Gluten Intolerance…. What is YOUR problem with bread?
A conversation between
two friends:
“I just got a
diagnosis from my doctor. I have Celiac
disease and HAVE to avoid gluten…it actually damages my small intestine.”
“I’m
going gluten free, too.”
“You have
gluten enteropathy, too? Are you
sure? It’s not THAT common….”
“I think
I have a gluten problem… I’m not sure but I don’t feel great when I eat bread. I feel better when I don’t do grains. They make me feel bloated, tired, head-achy,
dizzy, and gassy.”
“Oh…When I eat
gluten, I have really bad diarrhea, get very bloated, have stomach cramps, and
I’ve become anemic. I had a blood test and a biopsy to confirm and
I definitely have the disease.”
“I don’t
have a “disease”…I just feel better when I don’t eat bread, crackers, cereal,
pasta.
It
seems as if everyone is avoiding gluten these days….and spending a LOT of money
on gluten replacements made of corn, rice, potatoes, amaranth, quinoa…..what is
going on?
Sixty million gluten-free products
are consumed in the U.S. each day. But
the question remains as to how many of these products are consumed out of
necessity
There
is a condition that requires the
avoidance of gluten. It is called Celiac
Disease, gluten enteropathy, or Celiac sprue.
For years, I saw a patient or two a month (maximum) to learn a gluten-
free diet for diagnosed Celiac disease.
Now, every other patient I work with tells me they can’t have
gluten. What gives?
Celiac disease is a chronic disease of the
digestive tract that interferes with the digestion and absorption of gliadin, a component of gluten.
Gluten is a protein commonly found in wheat, oats,
rye, and barley. When people with Celiac disease ingest gliadin, the villi in
their small intestine become damaged by an immunologically mediated inflammatory
response. As a result of this damage to
villi of the small intestine (finger-like projections that aid in the
absorption of valuable nutrients) there
is maldigestion and malabsorption. People with uncontrolled Celiac disease can
be malnourished and experience persistent diarrhea . A small number of people have only subtle symptoms .
Celiac sprue has a strong hereditary
component. The prevalence of the condition in first-degree relatives is
approximately 10%.The frequency of celiac sprue in the United States is
relatively low, estimates suggest that approximately 1% of the population is
affected
The
blood test for celiac disease is very sensitive, he says, but a person needs to
be eating gluten for the test to detect antibodies that indicate celiac
disease. There is also a biopsy that can
be done to confirm the diagnosis of gluten enteropathy.
To get
a valid diagnosis, the test must be done before gluten is eliminated from the
diet. If you truly have Celiac disease
and eliminate gluten from your diet, the antibodies in the blood slowly
decrease and become normal in about 6 months.
So, if you are tested for Celiac after being gluten free for a period of
time, you may test negative even though you truly have the disease. As soon as gluten is re-introduced,
antibodies and inflammation will return.
So, if
only 1% of the population has Celiac disease, what’s with all this gluten-free
media blitz?
There
are some people who are sensitive to gluten.
When you test them, they test negative for Celiac sprue because they don’t
have the condition. But…they may have
symptoms when they eat wheat, oats, rye, or barley including fatigue,
headaches, bloating, gas, some diarrhea,
irritability, dizziness. They feel
better when they avoid gluten. Eating
gluten does not damage their small intesting and will not cause malnutrition , osteoporosis, or anemia.
Though
Celiac disease can be diagnosed through a blood test and an intestinal biopsy
that shows damage to the villi, there’s no reliable test for gluten
sensitivity. The intestine is not damaged from gluten and it appears normal on
biopsy. There is no immune response
causing inflammation, so it is not present in sensitivity issues.
Rather,
for gluten sensitivity, “the diagnosis rests on history.
If you
think you react badly to gluten, see a doctor for Celiac testing before you
start any gluten-free diet. One has to first rule out and investigate Celiac
disease. Since 10% of people diagnosed
with real gluten enteropathy have a first degree relative with the disease, it’s
important to know if you have it. Also,
with gluten enteropathy, having a little bread
here or there causes actual damage to the intestine. So, remaining without gluten is imperative.
Be
careful when choosing from the growing number of gluten-free products on the
market shelves, They’re typically higher in carbohydratesand lower in fiber, higher in fat than regular
bread products. .You might be better off baking your own bread with corn meal,
quinoa, amaranth, or quinoa
Another thought….are you gluten intolerant
or are you uncontrolled Metabolism B. Is
it gluten that causes your fatigue, headaches, bloating, dizziness…or is a
response your body has to high carbohydrates; including bread, crackers, pasta,
cereal, fruit, milk, yogurt, rice, legumes?
If you have uncontrolled Met B and
you go gluten free…..you may feel “better” as you are using less pasta,
crackers, cereal, breads….but might feel your “best” on a program that helps
regulate insulin.
If you believe you do not have Celiac
disease, feel better (but not great) without gluten…you may want to consider
reading the informative website: www.themetabolismmiracle.com. If your problem is an insulin/carb problem,
gluten free will only get you part way to feeling great!
Friday, October 19, 2012
A Multivitamin A Day Can Help Keep Cancer at Bay? Care to Share This Information???
Research Study Results that DID NOT make Headlines! Middle
Aged Men taking one multivitamin a day can reduce their risk of cancer by 8%!!!
The article's title: "Multivitamin Use Among Middle-Aged Men Results in Modest Reduction in Cancer"
The title of
these study results is very minimized and a bit misleading. It specifically
mentions that middle aged men may see a modest
reduction in cancers with multivitamin use.
Minimized and
Misleading? In my opinion, yes.
I would think that this information should be a headline story on the every
news broadcast and in make headlines in newspapers. An 8% reduction in cancer
risk equates to 8 out of 100 “middle aged men” decrease their risk of cancer by
something as inexpensive and easy as taking a multivitamin once a day.
If this was a new
medication it would be plastered all over the media. If it were a costly recommendation
that would make billions of dollars for investors...shouted from the rooftop. I
saw this study in one post. With no hoopla...with no affirmation.
The only reason
there is a limitation on reduction in risk of cancer to middle aged men is
because they were chosen as the study participants. It follows that a
muli-vitamin/day could and would decrease cancer risk for men, women, and even
children. And if a younger than middle-aged person began taking multi-vitamins
daily, could they reduce their chances of developing cancer by an even greater
percentage?
This much is
true: It is close to impossible for people to get all the vitamins/minerals
their body requires on a daily basis. Some vitamins, water soluble vitamins
like all the B vitamins, Vitamin C must be ingested in required amounts DAILY
for the body to function optimally. This is not happening in most dietary
intakes in the US in the 21st century.
As a registered
dietitian, I should be able to provide the inside scoop for a high quality
nutritionally balanced intake that meets the needs of the body in 2012. But the
truth is...our food supply is tainted. Our crops and livestock, and feed are
contaminated with pesticides, hormones, chemicals, sprays. "Fresh"
produce sits in trucks and is days/weeks old before you purchase it in your
store as “fresh.”In the 21st century, many Americans are not even preparing
many of their meals at home. A run to the bagel shop for a bagel and coffee for
breakfast (if we have breakfast), a drive through for a fast food lunch, a stop
for Chinese take out or pizza for dinner can be devoide of fruit, vegetables,
lean protein, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals...
Our daily dietary
intake is not balanced in protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat, vegetables,
vitamins, minerals. And even if we intentionally try to eat healthily, our
natural food supply is lower than ever in nature. Our processing methods
destroy vitamins and add preservatives, fat, sugar, sodium.
The human body is
like a Lamborghini, the finest high tech machine ever made….and it requires
high quality nourishment to run correctly. Without the right “gas" our
body experiences inflammation, oxidative stress, nutrition deprivation, free
radical production, hormone imbalance….all of which can pull the trigger on
cancer. Vitamins can be soldiers that help protect the body from insult,
injury, disease, and provide immunity and resistance.
One multi
vitamin/day. The solution to prevent cancer? Far from it. Something we can
easily do to help insure that our body has the nutrients it needs to stay
healthy and in the process decrease cancer risk? YES.
Think of your
multi-vitamin/day as an insurance policy. Don't leave home without it. Take it
on a full stomach. Take it every day. One vitamin, multiple benefits....maybe even cancer prevention!
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