By ESTHER COVINGTO
As bathing suit season approaches, many Americans are turning to diet pills to take off the sweater-season weight gain.
According to an article in the May 13 issue of Time magazine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new anti-obesity drug called dexenfluramine, which will be sold under the brand name Redux. The drug will be sold as early as June.
Redux is the first anti-obesity drug to be approved by the FDA in over 23 years.
Diet pills have had a negative reputation since the 1970s, when amphetamines, which are addictive, were prescribed to patients. Many Americans today are still using amphetamines for weight loss. More common, however, are over-the-counter diet pills, which can be found in any food and drug store.
A Provo pharmacist, who asked his name be kept confidential, said many people of all demographics use diet pills.
“It used to be the thinner people who bought diet pills, but now people of all ages and demographics are buying them,” he said.
The pharmacist said many people use prescription weight loss pills, but over-the-counter pills are also very popular. He said the biggest reason people buy diet pills is for weight loss, but there are psychological reasons, too.
“Our responsibility is to help people take drugs properly. We can’t control if people use them for other reasons,” he said.
The pharmacist said he has heard about Redux and said the drug will do well if the demand is there.
Redux works by getting people to eat less food by shutting off appetite. This happens by triggering the release of serotonin, a brain chemical that causes feelings of satisfaction and fullness. Most weight loss pills work by speeding up the body’s metabolism.
Redux has an expected cost of $75 a month. The pharmacist said the average cost of prescription weight loss pills is $40 to $50 a month. Over-the-counter diet pills range from $4 to $15 a month.
Although the FDA says Redux is safe, many doctors do not agree. According to the Time magazine article, 22 neurologists petitioned the FDA to delay approval of dexenfluramine. The neurologists said the drug causes brain damage in laboratory animals.
The pharmacist said diet pills have positive effects.
“Diet pills help many overweight people lose weight. Being overweight causes health problems and diseases, and if diet pills help reduce the weight, then they are helping reduce the health risks,” he said.
The pharmacist said there are dangers associated with weight loss pills, but if taken properly, they can be safe.
He also said there is a need in society for weight loss pills.
“Exercise and proper diet is always the best form of weight loss, but it is difficult to control diet and be social in today’s society. Society places emphasis on eating. Diet pills help control the drive to eat larger portions yet doesn’t stop the appetite completely,” the pharmacist said.
Time reported that diet pills are recommended for those who are at least 20 percent overweight as part of a healthy diet and exercise
