An apparently little known new concept for weight loss and/or maintenance is the use of diabetic drugs for regulation of blood sugar levels and insulin. Theory says these may prevent some of the causes of overeating, not just artificially and temporarily suppress them. Also lauded in anti-aging methodology, for just about anyone.
I have researched much info on these particular drugs, but most of it is geared towards diabetics at this point. I would like to find more info on the efficacy and safety of the drugs when used for these other, non-diabetic purposes. (Although, note that one of the articles below mentions that adult onset, type II diabetes may be prevented altogether with use of one of the drugs.) Whether it’s worth doing, or justifiable, in other words.
You can also find a lot of information by searching “nootropics” and “smart drugs.”
The only risk of any note seems to be with metformin use by those with existing liver or kidney problems; and…those who drink to excess on occasion. I would need to find out how long before a night out drinking to stop taking it.
I bet it would be a loooong time before conventional U.S. doctors would prescribe metformin or acarbose for these purposes. They also may think those who are not currently overweight simply wish to go further and look anorexic, when in reality they may struggle like dogs to keep the overweight person they were actually born to be at bay and suspect they can’t keep it up forever (MEEE!). In any case, for these purposes overseas pharmacies would presumably be necessary, which is easy enough.
The only new concept here is marketing diabetic drugs for weight loss. The problem here is that if your not diabetic then the reason that your blood sugar is so high in the first place is because your eating shitty highly glycemic food. And it certainly will prevent the cause of overeating - which is the precipitous drop in blood sugar that occurs from the insulin spike caused by eating shitty foods in the first place. A diet like “The Zone” is intended to stabilize your blood sugar naturally. Chromium Picolinate helps too. The presribing of this drug for weight loss is truly a new low because it’s very efficacy is dependent upon poor health practices to start.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by KidCharlemagne *
**The only new concept here is marketing diabetic drugs for weight loss.
This does sound suspiciously like some media play by a drug company.
I would venture to guess that some rival pharmaceutical company is about to release a new oral diabetic pill, and the maker of glucophage is scrambling to market their pill in other ways in order to keep the dough rolling in.
Common sense says you’ll die quicker taking a pill to lower your sugar if you’re not a diabetic. Especially if you don’t curb your sugar intake.
Sounds like another way for doctors and pharmaceutical companies to make a few million more $$$ off people who are considered (by self or others) overweight.
Unfortunately, ‘Just eat right in the first place’ hasn’t worked yet, and is not going to solve the often life- or quality-of-life threatening obesity issues of billions of people.
It seemed to me that what is being implied in the “theory” is that some people, other than diabetics, have glucose intolerance issues not necessarily caused by a consistently crappy diet. Can be born that way and/or head that way with age. Some people just feel crummy and hungry all the time when maintaining a normal weight. It’s like a fight with nature you feel you’re destined to lose.
And, I say, if a serious problem is alleviated and there IS no likely harm in using the medication, what difference does it really make if it is a bit of a crutch - or as some would insist - cop out on good old fashioned self-discipline? If people could take a safe pill for the rest of their lives to ensure they’d never start smoking again, GOD BLESS!!! The end result - better health and less emotional struggle - is all that really matters. It’s the greater good.
These meds have been used for ages and appear to be extremely safe for most. Obesity, adult onset diabetes and depression over these things are the killers here. And, used for these purposes, any excessive desire for sugar would curb itself. Any continuous cravings IN themselves can be a sign one has glucose intolerance problems and could benefit from this treatment.
It is effective that way for diabetics. Not all diabetics are prescribed these particular drugs. Diabetics are particularly cursed in the weight loss/maintenance struggle, but they do lose weight when they start taking these meds and are able to keep off much more than they would otherwise.
People with glucose intolerance issues that aren’t just cases of poor lifestyle-induced diabetes “lite” are the exception (elderly, pregnant women, genetically inclined, etc). I’m not saying that ALL obesity can be cured by eating right and exercising, but I am saying that MOST of what constitutes the current obesity “epidemic” could be solved through these means. If someone’s health is at risk because they refuse to eat right and this drug keeps them alive then fine. Invariably, however, it will end up being overprescribed and serve as one more nail in the coffin of personal responsibility.
There is also alot of misconception about what constitutes “eating well.” Alot of people would consider a glass of orange juice fit into a definition of “eating well,” but in fact it’s highly glycemic (as is any juice) and will cause nearly as much an insulin spike as a teaspoon of sugar.
That’s not relevant that I can see. The only similarity is that insulin exists both in that movie and in my proposed research subject. Can someone overdose on - or incorrectly use -just about any med, prescription or otc? I don’t think your link is at all related to the issue of the correct and appropriate use of these specific drugs. And insulin isn’t even one of them.
Note, and this is very important, that no drug company itself that I know of has made any claims at all yet. You have to go to overseas sites to find vendors, which are never the drug manufacturers themselves. We are just now seeing the first stirrings of the possibility of this particular use. (Ultimate FDA stance on these drugs for this purpose won’t necessarily mean much. Let’s not get started on the FDA.) And it will be a massively loaded issue if it comes up for such approval/marketing. Will alcoholics (or others w/ risk factors) take it and die? Who actually needs it, and who just wants to be real skinny? It will be eons in R & D and bureaucracy, so I may just have to take over myself.
Anyway, I thought we were supposed to be analytical, scientific and unbiased here. Block out the notion that this is a grab for the standard thinness/beauty ideal and focus on the fact that obesity and maintaining a healthy weight are very real and serious issues. I’m hearing all attitude and no research. PLEASE do not turn this into a stop-pushing-perfection-and-beauty thread, or a don’t-be-so-lazy thread! I really want science here. Which has no opinion
Well in the whole of your post there is only one question - “Would you do this?” Since you don’t want an opinion, I’ll give you the factual answer. No.
Spoc, Sunny von Bulow supposedly took insulin to lose weight, which, unless I’m misreading your OP, is exactly what you’re proposing. I’m not saying that anybody who does this will wind up like Sunny, I’m merely pointing out that this isn’t a new idea, which you stated in your OP it was.
Sticking extra insulin in your body strikes me as a pretty drastic way of losing weight, and like all things drastic, has serious risks involved. Given that there’s been numerous “miracle cures” for obesity proposed in the past that haven’t turned out to be the “magic bullet” that everyone’s hoped for (Anybody remember phen/fen?) I fail to see how this one will be any better.
This was what I was and still am seeking. Not posed as a question, true. And true that people tend to take that kind of thing seriously around here. Further true, as I hoped no one would notice, that I did put a question in the thread title. I SO did not mean for that to take over. Just trying to flag people in.
This could be a very interesting research piece, and articles seem hard to find, so it could also be challenging.
Note: I can indeed think of several reasons why this whole thing is creating irritation. One of which would be that diabetics feel they are suffering enough already without the lucky, “normal,” skinny-wanna-bees moving in on and taking their meds lightly. Or overweight people who for some reason could not try this treatment or tend towards - and may be limited by- suspicion of the new. And that is not meant to be irritating.
This theory does not involve taking insulin by any means. These drugs (metformin, acarbose) only allow your body to use it’s own insulin effectively, which is a mechanism lacking in both type II diabetics and those with glucose intolerance issues. As a matter of fact, acarbose only slows the rate at which sugar enters your blood, which prevents the blood sugar spike and ensuing dip, which creates additional immediate hunger.
