White Pills, Black Market: New Drugs in the War on Weight Gain
In the never-ending quest for an anti-obesity pill, people are willing to try anything, including black market products or using prescription drugs off label.
One of the most popular medications that people are begging their doctor to prescribe is Zonegran or Topamax.
Now, both of these drugs are actually anti-seizures medication, but one of their side effects is weight loss. Neither of these drugs are approved for weight loss by the FDA, so it’s unlikely your doctor will prescribe them to you. In addition, they have other big time side effects like memory problems and concentration. Plus, not everyone loses weight on the drugs.
But those who do show dramatic results.
In one study conducted by Duke University of 60 people, half of the volunteers went on a low-calorie diet and the other half went on the same low-calorie diet with zonegran. Four months later, the participants taking zonegram lost an average of 13 pounds while people in the other group averaged only two pounds.
While convincing your doctor to go off-label for an anti-seizure medication might seem unlikely, so is finding morally responsible black-market hoodia on the Internet.
The problem with hoodia is that it has been severely over harvested. As a result, unscrupulous companies will try all kinds of tricks to get you buy lower-grade or fake hoodia.
So, keep the following in mind:
• There are 20 types of hoodia plants, but only Hoodia Gordonii reportedly works as an appetite suppressant.
• Beware of products that are “seed” hoodia, meaning the hoodia was planted and harvested someplace like Mexico or China and not in its proper habitat — the Kalahari Desert.
• If a product claims to use all of the hoodia plant, watch out. The skin and roots of the plant have no appetite suppressant effects.
But the biggest problem with the black-market hoodia is that if it is actually from South Africa, it means that the San Bushmen have been ripped off.
The San Bushmen are the ones who for thousands of years have been taking hoodia to combat hunger and thirst while hunting in the desert. And it is the Bushmen who receive a part of the money from legally exported hoodia — but not from black market hoodia.
And since you probably don’t want to go to hell for ripping off a whole African tribe, my advice to you — should you decide to buy hoodia — is to look for companies who will show you a copy of their exporting agreement.
One of the most popular medications that people are begging their doctor to prescribe is Zonegran or Topamax.
Now, both of these drugs are actually anti-seizures medication, but one of their side effects is weight loss. Neither of these drugs are approved for weight loss by the FDA, so it’s unlikely your doctor will prescribe them to you. In addition, they have other big time side effects like memory problems and concentration. Plus, not everyone loses weight on the drugs.
But those who do show dramatic results.
In one study conducted by Duke University of 60 people, half of the volunteers went on a low-calorie diet and the other half went on the same low-calorie diet with zonegran. Four months later, the participants taking zonegram lost an average of 13 pounds while people in the other group averaged only two pounds.
While convincing your doctor to go off-label for an anti-seizure medication might seem unlikely, so is finding morally responsible black-market hoodia on the Internet.
The problem with hoodia is that it has been severely over harvested. As a result, unscrupulous companies will try all kinds of tricks to get you buy lower-grade or fake hoodia.
So, keep the following in mind:
• There are 20 types of hoodia plants, but only Hoodia Gordonii reportedly works as an appetite suppressant.
• Beware of products that are “seed” hoodia, meaning the hoodia was planted and harvested someplace like Mexico or China and not in its proper habitat — the Kalahari Desert.
• If a product claims to use all of the hoodia plant, watch out. The skin and roots of the plant have no appetite suppressant effects.
But the biggest problem with the black-market hoodia is that if it is actually from South Africa, it means that the San Bushmen have been ripped off.
The San Bushmen are the ones who for thousands of years have been taking hoodia to combat hunger and thirst while hunting in the desert. And it is the Bushmen who receive a part of the money from legally exported hoodia — but not from black market hoodia.
And since you probably don’t want to go to hell for ripping off a whole African tribe, my advice to you — should you decide to buy hoodia — is to look for companies who will show you a copy of their exporting agreement.
Comment
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Comment by Christine Barber on September 12, 2008 at 11:06am -
Hi Dia,
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. Somehow I got myself lost in the shuffle. I'd love to see one of the books if you are ever downtown. I won't be at the office myself (I write from home), but you can leave it for me at the front desk. Thank you so much for the offer.
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Comment by Dia Winograd on September 3, 2008 at 8:25am - C I've been following your column since it was born & have been chomping at the lo-cal bit to add my 2 cents. I follow a popular eat less plan which costs no more than the food I buy at any store & has worked for me & 4 friends & some of their friends for over 2 years. It's slow, but mostly steady & easy enough to live with for life with some cheating now that I've reached my goal. Best part is I stopped feeling like I was starving. I'll drop off a copy of one of the many books, if you're interested. D
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