Comments on: With Experimental Drug, Inspired by Cancer Treatment, Obese Monkeys Shed Nearly 40% of Their Fat

By: NO

NO — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:59:02 +0000

A magical eat-all-you-want pill without side effects would be disastrous for this world.

By: Redshift

Redshift — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:54:26 +0000

I want some.

and a large chocolate milkshake.

By: CJ

CJ — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:24:43 +0000

Sign. Me. Up.

By: Obeserver On The Hill

Obeserver On The Hill — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:46:19 +0000

Not to worry – once Ezekiel Emmanuel MD, Rahm Emmanuel’s brother, who is Barack Obama’s “Special Advisor for Health Policy” implements the “COMPLETE LIVES SYSTEM” the obese and unhealthy will not be deemed “worthy” of treatment due to healthcare costs. Those old, fat people are no longer productive to the collective and must be culled from the herd.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:25:59 +0000

There are people like me out there. I was 6′ 4″ and 305 lbs when I was 12 years old. I am now 58, 6′ 2″ (back operations) and 335 lbs. I was a defensive tackle in school where I exercised vigorously every day and a heavyweight wrestler that included full daily workouts in a sweat room. I have consistently lifted weights over the years – even now. I have never been a “snacker” and instead eat fresh fruits and vegetables. And, yet, I have always been “obese” and unable to move toward the 200 lbs. that I should ideally weigh (insurance company stats). My cholesterol levels are at 147 and my blood pressure is at 120/75. So… I would give my left nut for a drug like this (it’s useless now anyway). At some time or another in my life I have quit smoking cold-turkey, quit marijuana cold-turkey, and quit one nasty woman cold-turkey. The problem is that you cannot quit eating cold-turkey. My fat cells have never listened to what the rest of my body tells them. They just go on blithely sucking every precious calorie possible out of anything I eat.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:15:26 +0000

Sure, it should be a last ditch effort. Many people, including some I know, are entering their 60′s with 80-100 pounds of extra fat. They’ve lived poor lifestyles for so long they’re essentially unable to exercise enough to lose weight effectively. Generally they already suffer from type II diabetes and have personality traits that aren’t conducive to weight loss either. For them it *is* the final chance they’ll have at living another 5 years or living another 20+ years. I think if they had something like this new med to get them some momentum in the right direction that they could see nearly right away, it would be the catalyst they need to persevere with healthier habits.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:27:54 +0000

this may sound insensitive, but this should really be a last ditch effort. It seems to me like diet/exercise/healthy lifestyle should be pushed harder than a magic drug, otherwise people could just ignore the effects of eating unhealthily and not exercising because they have this wonder-drug to fall back on.

By: ColinC

ColinC — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:08:49 +0000

If you read the LA Times article, the scientists speculate that the fat deposits, once they start getting starved for blood, send signals to the brain saying they are at capacity and suggesting the brain eat less food. So… can we just mimic those chemicals? Wouldn’t that cause fewer side effects?

By: giusseppe

giusseppe — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:12:16 +0000

i’m going to put a tourniquet around my belly. 6 pack in no time…

By: Cathy

Cathy — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:42:01 +0000

For the very seriously obese, such a drug might be the magic bullet, I hope. But I’m not going to hold my breath – those “minor side effects” could be worse than the effects of obesity itself. How long does it stay in the system? Would someone with a slow metabolism and weight problems be required to take it for the rest of their lives? Still, I am grateful that researchers are beginning to approach morbid obesity as a disease deserving treatment in its own right, rather than just a precipitator of other diseases.