Last week the FDA approved Belviq, or lorcaserin hydrochloride, for treatment of chronic weight problems. The pill, to be combined with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, has been shown to promote a decrease in overall body weight by altering the chemical pathways that regulate satiety and fullness. While this is the first diet pill to be approved in 13 years, it is not without its list of side effects, including headaches and depression.
The question that we are faced with in light of a development like this is: why are we having such a difficult time with weight and weight related problems? We are not a country that lacks crucial information on health and wellness, so why do we find ourselves at the end of the barrel of what many describe as lifestyle diseases?
A big part of the problem is social pressures. For both men and women, we are presented with symbols and images that idolize dangerously thin figures, and these images become definitions for health, beauty, sexuality, and social acceptance. We all measure ourselves against these standards and find ourselves dissatisfied with our rankings. What we don’t find often enough today is an intellectual and emotional education about our bodies, self image, or health and nutrition. People wage wars against themselves: fighting their cravings (which are signals from our bodies as to what we need), becoming addicted to exercise and diet and supplements, and constantly trying to make themselves over in the image of someone else. While I could sit here and outline over 100 different diets and exercise routines that have helped people lose weight, I could contrast each one with stories of how people who don’t address their core issues surrounding food, nutrition, and body image just wind up adding the weight back on. A truth that people have forgotten is that skinny does not equal healthy, often it’s the opposite. For example, a woman with under 25% body fat is prone to a host of serious health complications, including reduced fertility.
Another big issue facing people trying to become healthier is weight loss. Not so much in the traditional sense, but rather in the types of tissue that people actually lose in strict diet and exercise regimens. Calorie restriction, low-fat diets, high-protein and six day a week workout routines and the like all put the body under a great deal of stress which compounds a few of the factors that got people unhealthy in the first place. Over exercising and stressing about food generates hormones that keep the body in a  state of flight or fight, and is counterproductive to a healthy state of being. While it is definitely possible to lose weight in a state like this, the end result is usually a loss of muscle tissue due to an imbalance of nutrients being taken in. This point is especially relevant because the trial results of this new drug only measured overall body weight lost, not fat, or belly fat leaving much to speculate about.
In reality, health is comprised of more than body weight, and no pill is going to make you truly happy or healthy. Learning about food, making empowered choices, and being aware of the other components of wellness will ensure lifelong health and energy. Medicine has its place in our lives, weight loss isn’t one of them. Take the time to learn about yourself, your body, and your food and you will look and feel better in no time at all! Eat food, it’s delicious!
– John Garda
John Garda is a Holistic Health Coach working out of NY and Miami. He has been able to help his clients overcome their challenges, and now has a practice that focuses on helping busy individuals lower their stress, lose weight, achieve wellness, and love who they see in the mirror.
Visit John’s website at http://www.ironmountainwellness.com
