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.A professor says many weight loss products on the market are scams. Source: Herald Sun

ONE of Australia's leading public health experts says there are more than 1000 weight loss products on the market and that most are scams.

Ken Harvey, an Adjunct Associate Professor in La Trobe University's school of public health, says claims that diet pills can help people lose weight fast after bingeing are "crazy and dangerous".

Online firm undoit.com.au claims its pills remove fat and carbs from food. For example, it claims someone could eat a Big Mac and fries and take five pills to undo it. A biscuit could be undone with one pill.

"It's crazy, dangerous stuff and very appealing if you like your Big Mac and fries. But there's no evidence it works and it's really dangerous from a public health point of view," Dr Harvey said.

There were many products on the market that "certainly rip people off ", were straight-out scams, or diverted people away from weight loss programs that actually work.

He said some of them might have fibre that can make people feel more full, while others relied on diuretics or laxatives, but that "none of them are worth money".

"By and large none of them are really worth the money and none have good scientific evidence to substantiate their claims. They're just scams," he said.

There's real harm in terms of turning people away from more evidence-based (care) ... we've got an obesity epidemic on our hands."

Last year, Dr Harvey complained to the Therapeutic Goods Administration about former NSW Liberal Leader Kerry Chikarovski's range of Suprexxa weight loss products, sold by her company Chika Health.

Original post:
Most weight loss pills are scams

Tuesday Feb 28 2012

Beyonc Knowles is reportedly frustrated she's not losing her post-baby weight fast enough.

The stunning singer and husband Jay-Z welcomed daughter Blue Ivy into the world on January 7. Beyonc stepped out for the first time in public on February 6 and wowed with her impressive physique. She has since being spotted on a number of occasions looking glowing and healthy.

However, sources close to the songstress says she has become frustrated with her post-pregnancy diet and fitness plan.

"Beyonc's complaining that she's working her butt off in the gym, but not losing weight as fast as she'd hoped. She's doing an hour a day, which is about as much as she can do right now," a source told Closer magazine.

"She looks great but she's a high achiever so wants to be back to a [UK] size 10 super-fast."

Beyonc is now reportedly determined to regain her famously fabulous figure in time for work commitments in the coming months. One source claims the beauty is even considering the punishing maple syrup diet that saw her lose over 14lbs. in two weeks for her role in 2006 movie Dreamgirls.

"The diet worked for her before and she tries it every now and again when she needs a quick fix. But her nutritionist has warned her not to try anything drastic until three months after giving birth," the source said.

"It's been hard for her. She's telling her inner circle, 'I guess I'm not one of these women that just ping back.'"

Read the rest here:
Beyonce Knowles 'eager to drop baby weight'

By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN - Q: I'm trying to lose weight, but each afternoon around four o'clock my energy hits a slump and I end up eating junk food. How will I ever lose weight? Q: I keep hearing about the importance of exercise, but my arthritis is a real barrier. What can I do?

Washington, D.C. - infoZine - American Institute for Cancer Research - Q: I'm trying to lose weight, but each afternoon around four o'clock my energy hits a slump and I end up eating junk food. How will I ever lose weight?

A: It sounds like you're running out of fuel. Eating enough and choosing the right foods are key to maintaining energy while you're trying to lose weight. If your lunch is too light, because you're either skipping lunch or trying too hard to cut back, it won't provide enough energy to get you through the afternoon. Many people find that getting about a quarter to a third of total daily calorie needs at lunch works well. Calorie needs vary, but as an example, someone keeping calories to 1600 a day for weight loss might aim for 400 to 500 calories at lunch (depending on how much snacking they prefer to do and how they spread out meal times). That's why a diet frozen meal, plain cup of soup, or energy bar usually won't suffice. Another possibility relates to the types of foods you choose for lunch. It's also possible that you may not be eating enough protein for lunch. If your lunch is nothing but refined carbohydrates (whether sweets or a low-fiber grain like a large bagel) or plain vegetables or salad with no protein, your blood sugar may go up and down again within a few hours, leaving you feeling pretty run-down. To avoid an afternoon slump, make sure your lunch includes some healthy protein (lean meat, poultry or seafood, low-fat dairy, or a full serving of beans or nuts). Focus your lunch around whole grains plus vegetables and/or fruit to provide energy that lasts. A balanced lunch needn't be high in calories if you don't load up on sweets or high-fat options. If you prefer a smaller lunch or still hit a slump with an improved lunch, get pro-active. Plan a small but nutrient-rich snack for a half-hour or so before the energy slump usually comes. Keep the snack to 100 or 200 calories of foods that slowly release energy; choose fruit, whole grains, nuts or yogurt. And make sure you're drinking enough water, since if you get dehydrated that can also leave you feeling zapped.

Q: I keep hearing about the importance of exercise, but my arthritis is a real barrier. What can I do?

A: You're not alone – a recent federal report found that people with arthritis are far more likely to be lacking physical activity. That's a real concern, because without regular physical activity, you are at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Furthermore, although arthritis pain may be keeping you from being more active, according to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, appropriate regular physical activity can help manage arthritis. It can keep the muscles around affected joints strong; replenish lubrication to joint cartilage; and help to control joint swelling, stiffness and pain. A large clinical trial (Fitness Arthritis and Seniors Trial – FAST) in older adults with osteoarthritis tested aerobic and strength-training (resistance) exercise and concluded that three 40-minute sessions per week of either type of activity was linked to decreased disability and pain. Talk with your physician about what types and amounts of exercise could be safe for you. And check these S.M.A.R.T. tips for exercise from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, starting with the first, "Start low and go slow." The CDC also has a list of community-based activity programs designed for people with arthritis. Check their website list, and see if any are offered in your community.

Link:
HealthTalk: Energy Slumps and Eating; Exercise with Arthritis

 

By Francisco J. Colayco

We continue with tips from the Zen Habits in connection with money.

Tip No. 22 is “Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more.”

Everything in our body is interconnected. As I understand it, our brain tells us when we are already full but there is a time lag. When you eat too fast, you could already enough but your brain will not be able to tell until you have eaten too much. In addition, you do not get all the right nutrients because you did not chew your food well to allow all the digestive juices to do their work. Therefore, by eating too fast, you would be spending money for food that your body doesn’t really need. If spending less on food is one of your budgetary issues, this is a good practice to remember

Tip No. 23 is “Drive slowly. Most people rush through traffic, honking and getting angry and frustrated and stressed out. And endangering themselves and others in the meantime. Driving slower is not only safer, but it is better on your fuel bill, and can be incredibly peaceful. Give it a try.”

Actually, what is important is to drive the right speed because driving too fast or even too slowly could use up fuel unnecessarily. What you would save on by driving carefully and not been stressed are medical bills. You would have less headaches and body pains plus you would avoid accidents that might cause your hospitalization as well as payments to the third parties you might harm.

Generally, the advice is to go slow and/or with moderation in moving about your life. Too fast or too hasty in doing things could lead to unnecessary problems

Tip No. 24 is “Be present. These two words can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. Living here and now, in the moment, keeps you aware of life, of what is going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity.

Live your life to the fullest. I ask you to plan for the future for by making your financial goals and your personal financial plan. However, I do not expect you to continuously think and worry about your future. Establish your goals and action plan IN WRITING and check once in a while (maybe monthly or quarterly) if you are on the right track. In the meantime, after you know what you want and how you will get it, just live in the present so that you can enjoy whatever your present life can provide you, no matter how simple.

Tip No. 25 is “Streamline your life. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, focus on one system at a time (your laundry system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it

simplified, efficient, and w ritten. Then stick to it.”

Tip No. 26 is “Create a simple mail & paperwork system. If you don’t have a system, this stuff will pile up. But a simple system will keep everything in order.”

Tip No. 27 is “Create a simple system for house work. Another example of a simple system is clean-as-you-go with a burst.”

Notice how Zen Habits also bring up the need to “write.” This is also the advice I give on making your personal financial plans. Write them down because studies show that written plans are followed better than those that are just memorized. It is a very sound principle not only for your financial life but for any kind of simplification and improvement.
There is an implication even in your saving and spending habits when you put things in their proper place.

My friend recently moved house and he told me his personal frustration. Ordinarily, he is very systematic and keeps his documents in order but this time some bills got misplaced and were not paid on time, particularly credit card bills. When the next bills arrived, there were interest and penalties already charged. Of course my friend was upset even if he was partly to blame for the lack of system. But he learned his lesson to create a better system henceforth to make sure all bills are paid on time whether or not he receives the bill.

Note the “clean-as-you-go” system that the Zen Habits mentions will save you some money without your even realizing it. It is so easy not to fix things first as you are doing the activity. For example, many do not immediately fix their bed when waking up or automatically clean the bathroom after taking a shower. This is especially true if you have someone who will fix or clean for you. When you fix/cover your bed immediately, it will keep whatever inner bedsheets you have cleaner for a longer time. When you clean you shower immediately, it will lessen the build-up of bacteria and mildew, which will cost more money to clean up at a later date.

These may sound so petty but when you are wondering how to save or spend less, all these little opportunities add up.

 

Related posts:

Simplify Life – Part 1 Simplify Life – Part 3 Simplify Life – Part 5 Simplify Life – Part 2 Simple Life – Part 4

 

Continued here:
Simplify Life – Part 6

San Marcos — One of the benefits that are always presented to people is that all of that running and exercise helps you lose weight. In a sense that is a true statement.

It’s not a fast weight loss program and it takes a lot of time and energy to be effective.

For many people running, or walking, has made dramatic changes in their lives and weight loss is one of the changes that are most easily demonstrated. The problem with the interpretation of exercise, running, or walking to lose weight is the scale of how much exercise results in how much weight loss.

You may hear a person say, “I walked around the block this morning so that I can have that slice of pie tonight after supper.”

A recent page in the March issue of Nutrition Action Health Letter lists what it takes to burn off some of those small extra desserts you would like to eat for that walk around the block. It was somewhat eye opening to see the amount of exercise it takes for that small helping of extra goodies you might think was earned from your short walk.

The estimates are based on a 150-pound person doing various forms of exercise.

A Starbucks Chocolate Chipper Cookie requires one hour and thirty minutes of brisk walking to burn off the 440 calories.

Eating a Crumbs Bake Shop Red Velvet Cupcake has you lifting weights for two hours and five minutes for the 500 calories it contains.

Even “healthy” food like Pinkberry Original Yogurt requires you to hit that elliptical trainer for an hour and five minutes for those 370 calories.

Heading to the movies, and grabbing a small bag of popcorn with no butter, takes one hour and 15 minutes of low impact aerobics to enjoy the 410 calories in the bag during the show.

Enjoy that early morning cup of coffee before work at Starbucks and ordering a Cinnamon Dolce Latte with whipped cream has you jogging for 50 minutes during your lunch break to burn off those 410 calories from that morning.

Maybe, instead of that cup of coffee, or more likely with that cup of coffee, add a Starbucks Banana Nut Loaf for breakfast for another 490 calories. That allows you to swim laps for one hour and 15 minutes after work to go along with the 50 minutes jogging you did during lunch.

During a weak moment you decide to order a regular order of Five Guys Fries checking in at 620 calories. For that you get to ride your bike to work and back so that you can ride for one hour and 35 minutes for those delicious fries.

You can always go for that healthy Smoothie King Slim-N-Trim Strawberry medium size drink at 560 calories and play doubles tennis with your friends for an hour and 50 minutes that evening to burn those calories off.

When you start to realize the amount of exercise it takes for those “small” things we consume every day it isn't a difficult thing to see why two-thirds of our population is overweight and obese.

Will exercise help a person lose weight? By all means it does.

It just has to go along with some of the food choices you make when you think you can now eat those extra goodies because you walked around the block, maybe even walked around the block twice for a second helping. The two sides of the equation of calories in from eating, and calories out from exercising, just don't equal out.

Just stay away from the thought that exercise allows you to eat more and still lose weight. Exercise, but don't eat more than you normally do, and eventually the weight will begin to disappear.

The one side effect of running, or any vigorous exercise, is that your appetite seems to diminish also. You do not have that urge to eat at the slightest impulse when you see that cupcake or cookie on the plate at home or at work. Instead of the cookie, you see miles and hours of exercise on that plate, and the temptation to eat them is gone.

Dr. Maurice Johnson is a former professor at Texas State University in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. His column appears every Sunday in the Daily Record.

The rest is here:
Exercise does help weight loss, but so does eating right

Featured Flashbacks

One of Stan's favorite columns:

Our house plan called for two hallway doors.

But to give the house a more open feel, we decided to leave them out.

The result was an uninterrupted pathway around the main floor -- a circle.

The circle soon became a favorite place of amusement for our then-3-year-old nephew, Mikey. For him, it was a running circle.

Round and round he'd race while grandpa kept track of the laps by drawing hash marks on a piece of wood. Not only was it great fun for Mikey, it was great exercise -- and a great way to wear him out before bedtime. Altogether, he tallied up a holiday season total of 830 laps.

Little did Mikey know that his running in circles would spawn what now has become a ready-made indoor fitness track -- our "walking circle."

If your New Year's resolution is to lose some weight -- or simply maintain it -- you don't necessarily have to join the gym or buy a treadmill or exercise bike. You can create your own indoor fitness track. Simply find a spot to walk -- back and forth, if need be. The basement, a deck or a large room or hallway could suffice. We use our walking circle.

But we don't race like Mikey did or count laps. Instead, we use a technique called intermittent walking. You walk at a brisk pace for 5 minutes (but not so fast you can't talk), then run as fast as you can (without knocking over other family members or knickknacks) for 30 seconds. The daily walk/run cycle is repeated for about 30 minutes. Combined with a few simple strength training exercises, the technique can reap healthy benefits.

In our case, intermittent walking takes a little planning. First, a chair or two must be slid out of the way. Since the circle's path runs through the kitchen, exercising shouldn't be done while others are preparing, eating or cleaning up meals, although it often is. The last thing you want is to collide with someone carrying the dinner entree.

Another potential obstacle is the cat, who might be poised to give chase or unexpectedly pounce in front of you.

Because our floors are hardwood, slippers with soles are highly recommended. You need a grip on those tight corners, especially on the slick ceramic tile near the entrance. Wearing socks could force you to hang on to the banister or grab family members and furniture as you try to avoid sliding into a wall -- or into a fall -- or worse.  

To help the time pass more quickly, we listen to music, a favorite radio program or a book on CD.

So how's it working for me? If you count the holidays, I've gained 6 pounds. Although I walked as briskly as I could through the kitchen during the holidays, I couldn't seem to walk nearly fast enough to avoid grabbing a sour cream Christmas cookie or an extra chunk of ham.

Even so, intermittent walking has helped to keep my holiday weight gain down.

And the pounds are sure to drop, as they did before the holidays, now that nearly all the festive goodies have been securely packed away -- in my stomach.

Connect

To share your home improvement stories, ideas, gardening tips and recipes, click on "Comments."  Or e-mail your tips to Stan. For more home improvement tips, gardening ideas and recipes, go to Stan's blog, Been There, Done That. Follow Stan on Twitter! @homefrontstan

Read the original post:
Stan Harrison: Lose weight with your own indoor fitness track

There are a lot of parallels between "Glee's" Amber Riley and Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson. Both ladies are belters with powerful pipes. Both unsuccessfully auditioned for "American Idol" at one point. Both gave moving performances of "I Will Always Love You" in tribute to Whitney Houston.

And now, Amber seems to be following Jennifer on the weight-loss path. This month at the NAACP Image Awards, pundits noticed that she's been looking slimmer.

Motives

Amber's motives for weight-loss are health-related. In July, she had to see a doctor because of chronic stomach pains. This motivated her decision to lose weight. The former Troubletone has cut fast food out of her diet, and has been sticking to a healthy diet and exercise routine. As she explains, "I decided I was going to make a change and eat healthier."

Meanwhile, Jennifer credits her son, David Daniel Otuna Jr., as the inspiration for her weight loss. As she explained, "Motherhood brought tremendous responsibilities -- but none greater than the obligation I felt to get healthy and be there for my son. David deserved to have a mama who could run after him without getting winded or getting tired, to have a role model who could teach him to make healthy food choices."

Weight-Loss Results

Amber has been on the weight-loss path for seven months, and has dropped two dress sizes. Meanwhile, Jennifer began seriously losing weight after her son was born in 2009. She has lost a whopping 80 pounds.

How This Affects Their Careers

It's too early to tell what kind of impact weight loss would have on Amber's career. However, we're already beginning to see her character Mercedes take a different direction. In seasons 1 and 2, Mercedes was pigeon-holed as the plus-sized diva whose only story lines consisted of body image issues and competing with Rachel (Lea Michele) for solos.

This season, we're seeing some refreshing depth to her character in her story line with Sam (Chord Overstreet), her involvement in the "God Squad," and songs that showcase the softer side of her voice.

As for Jennifer, I think the weight loss had both positive and negative implications. On the plus side, she became a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers and has become a positive role model for those who are struggling to lose weight.

On the other hand, anytime a celebrity loses weight, there will always be some backlash. Many fans who supported her in her early career, liked her because she didn't fit the skinny Hollywood stereotype. And because the weight-loss was so dramatic, some detractors suggested that she had gotten surgery.

Still, Jennifer's voice and talent are so strong that her career would have been successful with or without the weight loss. If she's happy and healthy, that's all that matters.

Do you see Amber following a similar career path to Jennifer? Are you happy about her commitment to healthy diet and exercise? Will this weight loss impact her career?

More From This Contributor:

'Glee's' Chris Colfer & Max Adler Turn In Compelling Performances

Recap: I Will Always Love 'Glee'

Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Join the Yahoo! Contributor Network here to start publishing your own articles.

More:
Amber Riley Vs. Jennifer Hudson: A Look at Their Weight-Loss Journeys

One year ago, at the Central Coast Section wrestling championship, freshman wrestler Athena McGoff had to watch from afar.

Unable to make weight, the young wrestler couldn’t compete. Fast-forward 12 months later, McGoff was doing more than just wrestling at the CCS championship, she earned a spot at the 2012 California Interscholastic Federation Girls Wrestling State Invitational Championship.

At the CCS championships in early February, McGoff - wrestling in the 235-pound weight class - was the only Baler to earn a spot at the Feb. 24-25 championship at Lemorre High School. To do so wasn’t an easy task for McGoff.

She knocked off the No. 1 seed Raquel Lozano from Overfelt and earned a second-place finish at the meet. It extended a season that included her wrestling boys who were taller, heavier and stronger.

Luckily, it all made her better, she said.

“To get that far and beat the No. 1 seed, means a lot to me because it means I worked hard,” McGoff said. “Wrestling boys has made it so I have a little bit of an advantage. They might have wrestled other guys but I’ve wrestled guys who are so much larger than me and taller than me, so it’s much easier.”

The state-championship berth, though, was more than a year in waiting for McGoff. To reach that moment, McGoff went through a life-altering change.

After missing her weight goals at the 2011 CCS championship, McGoff decided to lose weight. Twelve months later, she is 40 pounds lighter.

McGoff began going to the gym more and started to eat better, she said.

“At first it seemed easy but it gets a little harder,” she said. “But once you get into the habit of it, it gets easier and stuff. You just have to keep on doing it now. It really felt really good to lose all that weight. I was working out and eating a lot better than I was. It helped out a lot. I can go a lot longer in matches now. It’s so much easier now.”

All of hard work has made her an inspiration of sorts for the rest of the team, head coach Brian DeCarli said.

“I tell everyone this, you have to invest time in the sport,” he said. “It’s not a sport where you can just walk into and excel - it’s not going to happen. Everybody gets humbled, and the hardest thing is sticking it out.”

He continued: “That’s where Athena was at. We were sending her out against bigger kids, with more experience, last year and this year. She stuck it out, and the time she invested in the sport started to pay off. The more time you invest in a sport, the harder it is to give up.”

And McGoff hasn’t.

The sophomore was drawn to wrestling in eighth grade, a year before she enrolled at San Benito High. McGoff wanted to find a sport different than soccer, which she outgrew.

“I was trying to find some sort of sport and it was just something new to try,” McGoff said of wrestling. “After that, I really got into it.”

The sport ended up being more than just fun for McGoff, she said. The more she wrestled, the more her self-esteem and confidence grew.

“It really helped my self-esteem and it gave me a chance to wrestle with guys,” she said. “I really never liked doing sports with girls because they seem a little more wimpy as I like to say it. I used to hate showing off my arms and legs and stuff. I was uncomfortable in a singlet, but all of a sudden it helped me.”

Three years later, McGoff is proud of what she has been able to accomplish in a short amount of time. And she should only get better.

DeCarli believes McGoff’s talent could be limitless with the time she dedicates to the mat, he said.

“Wrestling pushes you to keep trudging forward to accomplish those obstacles,” he said. “Everything she has put into this point is paying off. If she continues to push herself in her junior and senior years, who knows where that ceiling is?”

To accomplish those goals, she plans to continue to find tough competition - whether it’s a boy or girl. Wrestling boys bigger and stronger than her forces McGoff to focus on technique and makes her a better wrestler.

“It’s a definite confidence builder,” she said. “The strength the guys have is so much more than me no matter what. I have to be better with technique. I expect to get better. Even if I don’t do well at state this year, I expect myself to get better.”

She has two more years to do just that.

“The next time I go to state I’ll be even better,” she said. “If I lose, I have next year and senior year. There is another time. It’s just more experience for me.”

It wouldn’t surprise DeCarli if she does just that.

“She wants to do this,” he said. “A lot of people can talk about it being important, but she is investing more of herself in it everyday and she is improving because of it. It says a lot about a person in sports or in business, when you stick around and find a way to win and overcome those obstacles.”

Original post:
Wrestling: Refining her focus

* Panel votes 20-2 in favor of Qnexa

* Vivus (Xetra: 893380 - news) shares nearly double in value after vote

* Shares of Orexigen, Arena Pharm up 17 pct

* Qnexa helped patients lose weight

* Panelists ask for study on heart risk (Adds safety history of obesity drugs, updates shares)

SILVER SPRING, Md., Feb 22 (Reuters) - Experimental obesity drug Qnexa won the backing of U.S. health advisors on Wednesday, raising hopes for approval of the first prescription weight-loss pill in 13 years.

Vivus Inc's Qnexa was one of three promising obesity drugs rejected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past two years over safety concerns.

It is the first to come back up for review after more extensive clinical trials, as public health officials urge the FDA to consider a medical treatment for a condition that affects about one-third of Americans.

A panel of outside experts to the FDA voted 20-2 to recommend approval of Qnexa, saying they were convinced that the benefits it offers in treating obesity outweighed the potential heart risks and birth defects associated with the drug.

Vivus shares nearly doubled in value to $21.01 in afterhours trade following the panel vote.

Panelists did say Vivus should conduct a study on possible heart problems and supported the company's plan to limit its use to women who are not pregnant.

During discussions, panelists seemed divided on whether the heart-focused safety study should happen before or after the drug is approved. They took no formal vote on that issue. A pre-approval study could delay the time before Qnexa is available to patients.

Shares of fellow obesity drugmakers Orexigen Therapeutics and Arena Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM: ARNA - news) got a 17 percent boost in extended trading.

"The vote reflects the clinical community's concern about the challenge of obesity," said JMP Securities analyst Charles Duncan.

"I continue to believe Orexigen's Contrave and Vivus' Qnexa remain approvable drugs and are going to move forward," Duncan said. "I am less positive on Arena (Milan: ARE.MI - news) 's Lorcaserin."

The FDA usually follows panel recommendations, although it is not required to. It will make a final decision by April 17.

"Everyone around the room knows obesity and its substantial health risks," said Dr. Susan Yanovski, an advisory panel member and director of the obesity and eating disorders program at the National Institutes of Health (Euronext: IXSHL.NX - news) .

"I would say not treating obesity is not risk neutral. We have few treatments for obesity for those who don't respond to lifestyle treatments."

LOSING 10 PCT OF BODY WEIGHT

Obesity, a leading cause of diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems, has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with about a third of the population obese and more than half overweight.

The FDA has set a high approval bar for weight loss drugs because such a large portion of the general population is likely to want to take them, and has not approved a new obesity drug since 1999.

The agency has experienced previous high-profile safety scares involving diet drugs. In 1997, the infamous diet drug "fen-phen" was pulled from the market after reports of fatal heart-valve problems in some users. Another diet pill, Meridia, was pulled from the U.S. market in 2010 after being linked to heart problems.

The only prescription obesity drug currently approved for long-term use is Roche Holding AG's Xenical, which got the FDA's nod in 1999. GlaxoSmithKline (Other OTC: GLAXF.PK - news) markets a lower-dose, over-the-counter version called Alli. But both have their side effect issues, including liver problems and uncontrolled bowel movements, and provide only modest weight loss.

Qnexa, which combines the appetite suppressant phentermine and anti-seizure drug topiramate, helped patients lose at least 10 percent of their weight after a year of treatment, the company said.

FDA staff reviewers said patients taking the drug had more safety problems, including memory loss and higher heart rates, than those on a placebo, and some of these problems could get worse over time.

However, Vivus said the drug also reduced blood pressure, and a link between heart rates and heart health was not conclusive. Panelists called for the company to study whether a higher heart rate was tied to heart health.

"They need to step up to the plate and do the cardiovascular outcomes trial, and do it fast," said panel member Dr. Sanjay Kaul, professor in the division of cardiology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. "I also encourage the FDA to hold their feet to the fire."

FDA staff also noted that exposure to one of the ingredients in Qnexa has been linked to a higher rate of birth defects. A Vivus study showed topiramate caused a higher rate of oral clefts in infants of women taking the drug during pregnancy

The FDA has said the rate of potential birth defects is about two to five times higher with topiramate than with a placebo.

Vivus officials said obesity, and its common symptom diabetes, come with their own risks to pregnancy, such as stillbirth, premature birth and other complications.

Arena and Orexigen have been pitching their own fat-fighters to the FDA after rejections.

In February, Orexigen agreed with the FDA on the design of a 10,000-patient heart-safety trial required for the approval of its Contrave drug. The FDA rejected the drug pending the outcome of the trial, despite a 13-7 positive vote from a panel of FDA advisers.

The FDA is also set to review Arena's lorcaserin by June 27, after rejecting it in October 2010 because of a potential cancer risk. (Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Additional reporting by Deena Beasley in Los Angeles; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Tim Dobbyn)

Read more here:
UPDATE 3-US advisers back experimental obesity pill

On Thursday, the Fast Money traders are expecting a big move from this stock. Is it on your radar?

Specifically, the pros are watching Vivus

[VVUS  Loading...      ()   ] after the company received a favorable ruling on its weight loss drug Qnexa. Back in 2010, the FDA rejected Qnexa because of safety concerns.

As bullish as that catalyst is – pro trader Guy Adami sees another reason for the stock to surge.

“There’s something like 20% short interest in Vivus,” he explains. “Expect the shorts to get squeezed. As a result the jump in this stock may be larger than anticipated."

And that’s where the trading opportunity comes in – but you have to be nimble. The Fast traders thinks the stock could overshoot to the upside.

“The stock could over pop early and then have a really big pullback,” says Pete Najarian. In other words if there's an extreme move trade accordingly.

Qnexa, which combines the appetite suppressant phentermine and anti-seizure drug topiramate, helped patients lose at least 10 percent of their weight after a year of treatment, the company said.

The FDA has not approved a new obesity drug since 1999.

Current DateTime: 03:19:50 22 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 26256943

Current DateTime: 04:08:16 22 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 26256941

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Trader disclosure: On Feb 22, 2012, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders; Najarian is long AAPL; Najarian is long C; Najarian is long YHOO; Najarian is long HPQ; Najarian is long MOS; Najarian is long SCCO; Najarian is long COP; Najarian is long PFE; Najarian is long MRK; Adami is long C; Adami is long GS; Adami is long INTC; Adami is long MSFT; Adami is long NUE; Adami is long BTU; Adami is long AGU

For Ron Insana
No disclosures

For Mike Khouw
No disclosures

For Doug Kass
Kass is short SPY common and calls
Kass is short QQQ
Kass is short IWM
Kass is short EFA

For Amelia Bourdeau
No disclosures

CNBC.com with wires.

© 2012 CNBC.com

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Fast Money Opportunity but Only if You're Nimble

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