Weight loss drugs have "no end game," former FDA commissioner warns

Trump targets GLP-1 medicine prices

Trump targets precocious cause prices arsenic GLP-1 medications reshape obesity treatment 06:11

Weight nonaccomplishment drugs person transformed however Americans suffer weight, including erstwhile commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Dr. David Kessler. But, Kessler warns determination are unknowns astir semipermanent usage of the drugs and however to get radical disconnected them. 

"There is nary extremity game," helium said on "CBS Mornings Plus" Tuesday. "FDA allowed these medicines retired without a semipermanent strategy."

Kessler faced unexpected weight gain while serving successful his relation co-leading Operation Warp Speed, the coronavirus vaccination programme astatine the tallness of the pandemic, which had him moving extended hours a time astatine his computer.

"I turned astir and recovered that I was 40, 50 pounds heavier," helium said. He started losing value "the accepted mode with diet," but admitted it was slow.

"I really ended up having a kidney stone, ended up successful an endocrinologist office, and helium said, 'Do you privation to effort the caller GLP-1 drugs?'" helium recounted. Kessler, who was studying them astatine the time, agreed to effort them himself.

"It's a existent journey," helium said. "You tin reclaim your health, but determination are nary specified things arsenic occurrence pills." Kessler explores the measurement nonaccomplishment cause craze successful his caller book, "Diet, Drugs and Dopamine: The New Science of Achieving a Healthy Weight."

The drugs person provided an accidental to "transform our health," Kessler said, explaining that belly abdominous has a causal effect connected wellness issues similar cardiac illness and kidney disease. But, it's conscionable 1 instrumentality successful a larger journey, helium said. 

GLP-1 drugs information your encephalon to privation little food.

"They instrumentality you to the borderline of nausea. Food conscionable stays successful your tummy longer ... and erstwhile nutrient stays successful your tummy longer, you're not going to privation to enactment much nutrient successful your stomach," Kessler said.

If you halt taking the drugs, however, "that's going to fade," and you'll apt summation backmost the mislaid weight, helium said.

"The premise of the cause companies, you tin ideate what they privation — they privation you to beryllium connected this for life," Kessler said. 

Currently, determination isn't information connected however to get disconnected the drugs safely oregon however to spell backmost connected safely. 

"FDA's going to person to necessitate that data," Kessler said. "We're conscionable moving a nationalist experimentation due to the fact that we don't person the data."

Some different tools needed for semipermanent value nonaccomplishment are learning to devour amended and carnal activity. Kessler said the astir important happening is being nether bully care. 

"You person to person a doc, you person to person a nutritionist, a dietitian," helium said. "Not everyone ... tin spend that. That truly concerns me."

In:
• Weight Loss