New Weight-Loss
Techniques
New Weight-Loss Weapons
So, how do you loose all that weight
and win, once and for all, that never-ending battle of
weight-gain and weight-loss? For many people this question
has no simple answer. Some are able to successfully diet and
exercise and manage to achieve their weight-loss gains. For
others, however, it is not that easy.
Eating disorders abound and manifest
themselves in many ways: some people are binge eaters,
others eat for emotional security. Still, others eat mainly
out of habit or are unconsciously aware of damaging
traditions associated with eating.
Because the reasons behind weight gain
are complicated science continually invents new and improved
products to assist in loosing weight. Biotech and pharmacy
companies invest billions of dollars a year in research to
develop more powerful pills, gadgets and gizmos to
eventually put an end to obesity. Research always shows that
although medications and techniques are helpful, they work
their best when combined with good dieting practice and
exercise. Some of the most recent techniques are medications
being developed today to treat obesity are the following:
Rimonabant. Rimonabant is
developed by Sanofi-Aventtis and is designed to suppress
hunger and cravings by targeting the endocannabinoid system.
This system plays a major role in regulating our weight. The
theory suggests that the cannabinoid receptors in the body
are the culprit behind stimulating our cravings; rimonabant
blocks those receptors effectively putting an end to the
craving. Another positive side-effect of this drug is that
in lowers triglycerides and imporves HDL, or the “good” kind
of cholesterol.
Ghrelin. Ghrelin is a drug that
targets the hormones in the stomach. The theory behind this
medication is that if you can regulate the chemical signals
rushing to the brain you have already affected the signals
in the brain. When a person goes on a diet the body reacts
by increasing ghrelin production as a “survival mode” kind
of action. The result is a slower metabolism and an increase
desire to eat forcing your body to retain fat. By preventing
ghrelin from reaching the brain you may prevent the body
from gaining excess weight. This medication is still in the
research phase and is currently far from being tested on
humans. Once this medication is taken it may be necessary to
take it for life. Hence, this route is designed for those
who are seriously over-weight.
VBLOC. A new approach to the
weight-gain battle is to use electrical shock to “trick” the
stomach into thinking is already full. VBLOC stands for
Vagal Blocking for Obesity Control and is a mechanism that
is surgically inserted, laparoscopically, to block the vagus
nerve, which connects the brain and the stomach. It
effectively prevents the stomach from increasing in size
when you eat, which gives you the feeling of being full
quicker and at the same time prevents the stomach from
emptying too quickly giving you the feeling of being full
longer. The end result is that you feel somewhat nauseated
when you over-eat and full with less food.
Surgery.
Surgery is the most effective tool for major weight
reduction. However, there are and have been risks. New
procedures are eliminating many of these risks by running an
endoscope through the mouth and then stitching or stapling
the stomach from the inside to make it smaller and thus
eliminating the need for invasive surgery and scars.
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