New Fen-phen diet: is it effective?

A new craze of diet pills has hit the market leaving people question if their weight can finally be conquered safely without the pains of the hard-to-follow diet.

For decades, studies have shown that nearly 20 to 25 percent of America's population is defined as clinically obese, a definition usually referring to 20 to 30 percent or more above one's ideal body weight, according to The New York Times. In the last five years, the number of obese people has increased to nearly a third of the population.

But how does one know what their own ideal body weight is?

According to Reader's Digest magazine, a person's ideal weight, or Body-Mass Index can be calculated. First, one should multipy their weight by 704 then divide that number by height in inches. Finally, they should divide that number again by their weight.

According to Reader's Digest, a BMI of 20 to 26 is desirable for most middle-aged adults. A BMI of 27 to 29 is considered moderately overweight and a BMI of 30 or more is considered truly over weight.

It was in the early '50s and '60s that scientists discovered that pills could reduce weight as effectively if not more effectively than dieting alone.

Amphetamines were one of the first drugs used for weight loss. And they proved effective in taking weight off.

But what wasn't expected by these early scientists were side effects of dependency and highness. Some users became addicted and others suffered a feeling of flightiness or highness when they took the pills, according to the Times.

Now, these drugs are used only in medicine and are classed and controlled like cocaine.

But the scientists mission was still complete. They had proven that the body's appetite system could be chemically altered and that obesity could truly be conquered.

Consequently, Americans are left with the diet pill craze of today. Over-the-counter diet pills stack the shelfs at supermarkets and drug stores and even "more effective" drugs are available through private physicians and weight loss clinics.

Probably the most talked about diet pill this year is the Fen- phen pill. Fen-phen is a combination drug made from fenfluramine and phentermine. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical School reported to Reader's Digest that dieters in a controlled experiment who took Fen-phen lost an average of nearly 16 percent of their body weight in 34 weeks.

The control group not taking the drugs lost an average of three times less. Reader's Digest also reported that most of the dieters who took the pills also kept the weight off for at least 3 1/2 years, the length of the study.

Vaughn Brotten of Azusa runs a night club in West Covina and said that as he began to get older he started gaining weight.

"Being surrounded by young, beautiful people every night made me notice it even more," Brotten said.

Brotten has been taking Fen-phen for about a month. He said he was more than 30 pounds overweight.

"I was in the military for a great part of my life and so I was always active." he said. "I've never had a problem with my weight before."

This sudden burst of weight gain was a total shock for Brotten.

"I was obese. I was 30 pounds overweight and that is technically obese," he said. "I was to the point where I looked in the mirror and I was discusted with myself and I couldn't even think about what my young, beautiful wife must have thought when she looked at me each night as we climbed into bed."

Brotten said he has experienced no side effects from the medication and that he would recommend the drug to anyone who wants to lose 30 pounds or more.

"It will change your life. You lose weight from places you don't even think about," he said.

Sue England, a 33-year-old Whittier resident also went on Fen-phen. However, she said she did experience some side effects at first. She said she experienced dry mouth and hyperness during the first week. She also said that for the first few days she saw spots.

"My body just needed to adjust," she said. " Once it did, I was fine."

She added that her perscription needed to be modified and that she ended up lessening her daily dosage.

England said that she was on the pills for about six months and that she had originally planned on losing 31 pounds.

"I lost 36 before I went off it," she said.

England said that she did as her doctor recommended and weened herself off the drug. She started taking the pills four times a week, then two and then one, until finally she was off the pills.

"I didn't experience any withdrawl or side effects that way," she said.

England also said that even though she experienced some side effects at first, she would recommend Fen-phen to anybody.

"It is wonderful," she said.

Still, there are concerns with the drug.

Unlike the amphetamines of the '50s and '60s, researcers told Reader's Digest that the new drug is non-addictive. They also say that the pills work better than any other diet drug still on the market.

As a result of the Rochester study, doctors have learned more about the tendancies of over-eaters. Some researchers say that obesity is not a matter of willpower but more a matter of brain chemistry, according to Reader's Digest.

In keeping with this theory, it is said that people who have these compulsive eating habits have too little of a neurotransmitter serotonin at work in their brain. Inadequate serotonin activity may make a person desire to eat constantly, said Reader's Digest.

Doctors say the problem may be genetic and that medication may be the best way to correct a serotonin imbalance. Fen-phen increases serotonin activity and lessens a persons desire to snack after or between meals.

"Obesity is a medical condition," Pietr Hitzig, a Timonium, Md. physician told Readers Digest. "It's a deficiency of a neurotransmitter, just as diebetes is a deficiency in insulin."

But not all doctors and scientists agree about the safety of the drug.

Madelyn Fernstrom, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine told Reader's Digest that many chemicals are involved in appetite.

"People might start to think, ÔGee, I'm fat because I don't have enough serotonin,' but it's not that simple. Obesity is like having too much cholesterol in your blood. There are many ways to lower cholesterol-many that you'd try first before resorting to a drug."

And like any other drug, there are side effects. Most people experience some diarrhea, which usually subsides after a few weeks and dry mouth, according to Reader's Digest.

Also, some patients have experienced fatigue and supress motivation, a lack of desire not only to eat but to do anything at all. Counts of memory loss and pulmonary hypertension or shortness of breath, which makes it difficult for blood to reach lung tissue, have also been reported.

But how does one know if it is safe for them to take the drug? Some doctors question whether the drug should be used for a five or 10 pound weight loss. Most agree that the pills should only be taken by those who are 20 to 30 percent above their ideal body weight or BMI.

Fen-phen must be prescribed by a pysician. One place it is available is the Center for Practical Weight Control in Beverly Hills, Lancaster or Victorville. The cost is $65 for the first visit and $35 for each additional visit. The fee for the pills is $20 per week. Pills are given to the dieter by their doctor.

All experts agree that the most important thing to do with any diet is to weigh out the the risks and benefits. Also, the drugs should be taken as part of a sensible diet and exercise program and the dieter should be monitored frequently by a physician.