Food labels and weight loss pills notice the first,ignore the other

The same is beginning to happen in the world of advertising related to food products. We have at last woken up to the perils of concealing or providing misleading information.

The officialdom has finally recognised the dangers to the nations health posed by the ballooning incidences of obesity. I have been heartened by the new advertising regulations related to food labels put in force March 19 onwards. All packaged food products are now required to carry labels indicating the content of calories,fat,carbohydrates and proteins in the food product.

Now that we shall be able to tell what we are ingesting,I hope and expect that we will begin to eat more sensibly. This may help reduce obesity in the population.

Of course,going by the experiences of many western nations,I do not expect that measures related to food labels alone will help control obesity.

Which brings me to my second point: the issue of drugs that help reduce obesity.

One such over the counter (OTC) drug is likely to be available shortly in India. So far,all anti-obesity medication has been available through regular medical prescriptions. The launch of the OTC version of a medication to treat obesity seems eagerly awaited by several quarters.

This small dose version has just been launched in the UK and has been available in the US for over a year.

The pill I refer to,acts by preventing the breakdown in the digestive tract of about a quarter of the fat in a meal.

In other words,with the help of this pill,a person can expect that about a quarter of the fat in a meal will not be absorbed by his or her body since it will be passed undigested.

Rest assured that nothing comes without a price.

Not only is this pill expected to be expensive but the body shall also have to bear some side effects like flatulence and the involuntary passing of stool.

In fact,I am aware that individuals under this medication are advised to wear diapers!

Proponents of the drug argue that these side effects are not medical in the sense that they do not harm the body. The new OTC version of this drug that is about to be introduced in India is touted as having fewer of these side effects by virtue of its reduced dose.

This is likely to make it very popular.

Currently,this fat blocker pill is already available in the bigger dose and on prescription-only forms in India. The active molecule in the drug is a lipase inhibitor by the name of Orlistat and the drug is sold under many brand names. I would like to advise all who are contemplating such a pill to stick to a low fat diet to help minimise the side effects.

In any case,the pill is not a license to eat fat rich foods. Those on this pill will also need to supplement their intake of the fat soluble vitamins.

Although this pill is considered safe I would also like to add a word of caution.

The best manner to stay slim is to regulate ones diet and to take regular exercise. Such medications should be used only when other means have failed or when there is a danger of a serious medical complication due to obesity.

Next week: More on weight loss medication

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