There was a AP report out this morning about GlaxcoSmithKline trying to convince the FDA to allow the over-the-counter sale of a drug they call Alli (also known as Xenical). Supposedly the pill will absorb about 25% of your fat intake and then pass it in various ways. This does not come with out some drawbacks as, in their words, "there may be some leakage". Not sure where the leakage occurs, but I have a fairly good idea.
It brings to mind this ongoing debate I have with myself from time to time. It goes something like this...
Hardway FB: Taking a pill to get thin is just lazy.
Easyway FB: Yeah, but if it works who gives a damn right?
Hardway: OK, so maybe it works. For as long as you take the pill. Then what, a life time of popping the fat pill because you can't control your eating habits?
Easyway: I take vitamins and supplements that are supposed to be good for me, this is not different.
Hardway: You are fat because you ate too much, and now, for many reasons, you battle that. Giving up the battle and choosing the easy path means you learn nothing from that struggle over the last 20 years. No lesson learned.
Easyway: You mean the last 20 years of painful struggle? Are you some kind of masochist? If swallowing something can ease that pain, what is wrong with that?
Hardway: Because to me it means I have struggled in vain, for nothing. No triumph, no victory. No personal goal met and conquered. Besides, just swallowing something to ease the pain is how you got fat in the first place.
Easyway: Ouch. But that struggle has not gone so good for you has it? There is a point where you must declare defeat, or consider yourself a madman, insane, incapable of rational thought.
Hardway: OK, that one knocks me back a bit. You have a point. Questioning my sanity is something I do quite often, usually after talking to myself.
Easyway: Yeah, I thought so. I knew I would get you with that one.
Hardway: But only for a moment, you lazy, good for nothing jackass. You ate yourself into oblivion, and now you want to continue that unhealthy trend by popping a pill. You do not learn how to stop, you do not learn how to make better choices, you just consume and consume and when the mood strikes you, pass it wastefully behind you, literally.
Easyway: Makes living a lot more fun doesn't it?
Hardway: Such a pill would not clean out your arteries, lower your blood pressure or curb diabetes, you'll need other pills for that. And now look what we say to our kids, don't try to change your bad habits, just swallow one more thing. Pathetic.
Easyway: What, are you a doctor now? Your a perfectionist, and a mean jerk.
Hardway: Now your just name calling. Make your final point.
Easyway: I have no final point to make, take the pill, it will make your life easier.
Hardway: Easier is not always better. Losing fat that way only makes you a loser in more ways than one, like losing your character. Have some courage in yourself to conquer personal challenges. Many people have overcome much more, and been better for it.
OK!!! Stop shouting! I have heard enough! If given the choice, at this point in my life, I would have to say, I am taking the Red Pill. But five years from now, if things don't change...who knows. I am weak... and it is only the fact that I don't want to be that drives me on.
Interesting. I've been kinda thinking through all this too. I weigh around twice my 'ideal weight' for my height, and have been considering obesity surgery. But I have all the same battles with myself about the easy vs hard ways. I'm only 24 and to be honest I just want to do something before there are any serious effects to my health (right now I'm generally fit and healthy and maintain a respectible level of activity and healthy eating -even the docs think so - but I'm still fat). To top it all, I have to acknowledge that i ENJOY food. i DONT want food to become the enemy. i DONT want to never be able to eat an average sized meal again. But I'm losing my faith in the hard way ever working.
Posted by: becc | March 02, 2006 at 11:00
My understanding about that pill is that it HELPS. When you combine it with sensible eating and exercise, the results can happen quicker. With my metabolism at a total stand-still these days, I'd be willing to give it a go. It would be interesting to see if there would be quicker benefits with watching what I'm eating and my workout at Curves. Because those alone certainly aren't doing anything.
Posted by: Tonya | January 25, 2006 at 00:59
tough choice. I am only just now beginning to accept that any weight that comes off is gonna come off SLOWLY...If I could swallow a pill that would make it easier, would I do it? I can't answer that...
Posted by: Felicity | January 23, 2006 at 07:45