If all this talk about fast food is giving you uncontrollable urges to
sink into a fatty burger and extra-large fries, you might be please to
learn the existence of
N-piperidino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methylpyrazole-3-carboxamide,
also known by the generic name “rimonabant” and soon to be marketed under the brand name “Acomplia“.
This drug is known as “the munchies drug” because it acts like
marijuana in reverse: it blocks the brain circuits that get triggered
whenever you smoke pot. Christian “The Facts About Fitness” Finn has written a quick summary about Acomplia, citing some test results:
Dr. Jean-Pierre
Despres of Laval University in Quebec City enrolled 1,036 overweight volunteers.
All had large pot bellies that put them at especially high risk of heart
disease. They were told to cut their daily calorie intake by 600 calories
a day and randomly given either rimonabant or a dummy pill.
After one year, those who got the higher of two doses of rimonabant had
lost an average of 20 pounds and trimmed three inches from their waistlines.
By comparison, those using the placebo lost just five pounds.
He also points out the observed side effects:
The most common side effects where incidence was higher with rimonabant
than placebo were nausea and dizziness. And more of the people using rimonabant
dropped out because of the side effects. The drop-out rate due to side
effects was 6.9% in the rimonabant group versus 3.8% with placebo.
And not everyone is convinced that rimonabant will be safe to use.
Dr. Gareth Pryce, who has conducted research into cannabinoids at the
Institute of Neurology, London, is concerned that the drug might not be
safe for some patients to take.
“My group has carried out animal research that showed interference
with the cannabis receptor in the brain may have a damaging effect on
the progression of multiple sclerosis,” he says.
“There are also concerns about the possible impact on people who
have a stroke, or head injury while taking the drug. My other concern
is it could exacerbate neurological diseases that had previously been
clinically silent.”
In the end, it still boils down to the laws of thermodynamics: in
order to lose weight, you have to expend more energy than you consume.
