Magic Pill?

Has Merck finally invented the magic weight loss pill? At the outset, it seems promising.

“Merck & Co. said on Monday that patients on its experimental obesity drug lost more than twice as much weight as those on a placebo in a late-stage clinical study.”

Over a 52-week period, patients taking the drug taranabant lost an average of 8.8 more than those taking a placebo: 14.5 pounds vs. 5.7. Sounds great, doesn’t it? I would be delighted to lose another 14 pounds over the next year. It’d put me exactly where I should be in terms of my weight and BMI, and it would mean I wouldn’t have to work any harder than I have been. Maybe I could even slack off a bit.

That is if I didn’t mind the possibility of increased rates of depression, anxiety, and irritability. Those psychiatric side effects occurred at the higher 4-milligram and 6-milligram doses; they supposedly weren’t an issue at the lower 2-milligram dose.

Regardless, I wouldn’t want to take the risk. Time and time again, we’ve seen that these purported miracle drugs harm us much more than they help us. It’s just not worth having my physical or mental health compromised to lose a few more pounds. I would rather be a bit heavier than become a down-at-the-mouth, nervous Nellie wearing a smaller pants size.

No drugs for me… no matter how revolutionary they claim to be. I’m sticking with the tried-and-true recipe for weight loss success: fewer calories and more exercise. There’s no downside with that plan!