America's weight problem - Where is the pharmaceutical industry?

By George M. Ekema, Ph.D. Drug Discovery Scientist, Alexa Biotherapeutics, Inc. Http://www.alexabt.com The obesity problem in the United States is beyond control, and we are clearly in a crisis. Fat is not just making America look big, it is making America ill, very ill. Obesity causes many health problems directly or indirectly, including; type II diabetes, hypertension, many cancers, heart disease, stroke, emotional problems, etc. With only about 33.5% of Americans at a healthy weight, it is time to wonder if America has waived the white flag at obesity. With the weight loss market at about $50 billion, it may appear that America hasn't given up the battle with obesity. If America has not surrendered to obesity, why then is America getting fatter? America is getting fatter because she is using the wrong weapons. America wants to fight this war with a magic bullet. Where is the magic pill? The answer is not forthcoming from the pharmaceutical companies, but too many concoction makers seem to have the answer. For decades America has been swallowing weight loss supplements, concoctions and potions but her weight hasn't budged, has it? America, why are you still wasting your hard-earned money on these supplements, concoctions and potions? Anyone who has lost weight and maintained it has done so through a lifestyle change that had proper dieting at its core. There is no one who has lost weight and maintained it by using a magic bullet, because there is no magic bullet. No magic bullet? Where is America's pharmaceutical industry? Don't they realize that there is a killing to be made in inventing the magic bullet? The fact is that most pharmaceutical companies have an obesity portfolio, and are very much engaged in the discovery and development of obesity drugs. Some of these companies are in the very early stages of drug development, while others are already in clinical trials. It is normal for about 10 years to pass between day one research and day one market, when it comes to drug discovery and development. It is important to state how long the drug discovery and development process takes, to save America from turning purple. Yes, don't hold your breath America; you are not going to be popping the magic pill any time soon. Time is not the only limiting factor; the greater limiting factor is the content of the research pipeline. What type of drugs are the pharmaceutical companies developing for America? Is the magic bullet among these drugs? You don't have to wait to find that out America because I have the keys to the vaults and I will give you the answer right now. The pharmaceutical companies are developing as many obesity drugs as there are companies. These drugs fall into one of the following categories: (1) Anorectic drugs (drugs that suppress appetite). These drugs have the potential to prevent overeating, and they obviously will only be useful to the people who are obese due to overeating. There are several classes of appetite suppressant drugs, based on their mode of action. These classes include; (a) Drugs that act in the brain to increase the amounts of certain chemicals (norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine) or to mimic the action of these chemicals in the brain. Meridia