I'll Take Our Program Over Medication ANY Time!

One of the amazing "side effects" of the plan I am a Health Coach for is the fact that many people are able to get OFF their blood pressure and diabetes medications, and sometimes even their cholesterol meds!  But this blog isn't about getting OFF meds, it is about an ad I just saw in a recent People Magazine about a NEW WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATION.

Oh my goodness!  I used to think Weight Loss Surgery was dangerous and life threatening (and I still do...) but now I have added to the list weight loss MEDICATIONS! 

This purported "weight loss med" which "has been approved by the FDA" has THESE warnings on it:

BEGIN QUOTE:

VALVULAR HEART DISEASE:  Some people taking medicines like "****" have had heart valve problems.  Call your doctor right away if you experience trouble breathing; swelling of the arms, legs, ankles, or feet; dizziness, fatigue, or weakness that will not go away; or fast or irregular heartbeat.

DEPRESSION OR THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE:  Call your doctor right away if you notice any  mental changes, especially sudden changes in your mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings, or if you have depression or thoughts of suicide.

SEROTONINSYNDROME OR NEUROLEPTIC MALIGNANT SYNDROME-LIKE REACTIONS:  Before using "***" tell your doctor about all the medications you take, especially medicines that treat depression, migraines, mental problems, or the common cold.  These medicines may cause serious or life threatening side effects if taken with "***".  Call your doctor right away if you experience agitation, hallucinations, confusion, or other changes in mental status; coordination problems; uncontrolled muscle spasms; muscle twitching; restlessness; racing or fast heartbeat; high or low blood pressure; sweating; fever; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; or stiff muscles.

SLOW HEARTBEAT:  "***" may cause your heart to beat slower.

DECREASES IN BLOOD CELL COUNT:  "***" may cause your red and white blood cell counts to decrease.

INCREASE IN PROLACTIN:  "***" may increase the amount of a hormone called prolactin.  Tell your doctor if your breasts begin to make milk or a milky fluid, or if you are a male and your breasts increase in size.

END QUOTE

What the!!!!!!

Summary:  Oh, if you take this and cold medicine you could die.  If you are a guy you won't look like a guy for long, you could develop heart valve disease, your blood health will deteriorate, you may hallucinate or want to kill yourself.

But you'll lose weight LOL!

Let's face it, the first 3-5 years of any "new" med on the market, "approved by the FDA for human use" is basically an informal extension of human trials.  The baseline human clinical trial has been conducted, you know, the one that lasts, like, 3-6 months, and has been deemed "safe enough" to bring to the REAL market where the REAL human trials can begin...the ones that include the big pharma companies beginning to make money (they don't make money on the clinical trials....), and viola, we have new test subject, who, with prescription in hand, are willing to place their bodies under the influence of this "new weight loss drug".  Meanwhile the LONG-TERM effects begin to surface after a few years, after the drug companies have recouped the $$ it took to develop the drug, so they are happy, and the people who trusted them and took this med are basically out of luck.
I remember once my physician trying to convince me to try the newest weight loss med out there, and I said no.  Good thing too, because later that med was proven risky and potentially damaging.  I've always said I'll never take anything in a pill in order to lose weight.  If I can't do it on my own, with changes in my diet and exercise, I'm not doing it.  That was my mindset, and I DID it with Take Shape For Life and now exercise and maintenance to maintain!

As I said, I'll take the program that I am a FREE Certified Health Coach for, which has been clinically proven safe and effective for 30 years, the brand that has been recommended by 20,000 physicians since 1980, the plan I coach for which does NOT include any medication, injections, sublingual drops, colon cleanses, or surgery, ANY day of the week and twice on Sundays!  =)  



What will YOU do?