10 Essential Facts About Weight-Loss Medications

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four drugs in recent years that are designed to help obese adults shed some of their excess weight, but consumers' actual knowledge about the drugs varies greatly. Although weight-loss results are modest, these drugs — Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), Contrave (naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride), Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate), and Saxenda (liraglutide)  — “can give some patients an edge when it comes to losing weight, but they come with risks,” says Kim Gudzune, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine and an obesity expert at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
So despite the drugs' effectiveness in jump-starting weight loss, some physicians are still reluctant to recommend them given the uncertainties about their risks and side effects. Before you see your doctor, here are 10 important things you need to know about prescription weight-loss medications:

1. Weight-loss medications are approved for people with significant weight problems. Weight-loss drugs aren’t meant for those who want to lose a few pounds before the class reunion or a beach vacation. According to the FDA, you need to have a significant weight problem to be prescribed a weight-loss drug, such as a body mass index of more than 30, or weight that makes it difficult for you to control other health issues, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes.
2. Many of these drugs are off-limits to pregnant women or those trying to get pregnant. If taken during pregnancy, Belviq, Contrave, and Qsymia can cause harm to a fetus. Women of childbearing age should use contraception consistently while taking these drugs, and should be tested before they start taking any of them to make sure they aren’t pregnant.
3. The results may be modest — but the health benefits can be significant. According to the FDA, people taking Qsymia can, on average, expect to lose 5 percent of their weight, or 5 pounds for every 100. Those taking Saxenda had an average loss of 4 to 5 percent of total body weight in trials. While that may not seem like much, losing 5 percent of your body weight is an excellent short-term goal. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that losing even 5 or 10 percent of your body weight can produce positive health benefits, including lower blood pressure, better blood sugar control, and improved blood cholesterol. According to the Obesity Action Coalition, a 5 to 10 percent loss can result in a 5 point increase in HDL (good cholesterol) and a 40 milligram (mg) decrease in triglycerides — harmful fat-like particles in the blood. A 5 to 10 percent drop in your weight can also decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg, on average. Talk to your doctor about a dietary plan or calorie goal that will help you reach a healthy weight.
4. A companion diet and exercise plan is needed to meet long-term goals. “Weight-loss drugs are to be used as a supplement, not a substitute, for your weight-loss efforts,” says Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, PhD, president of The Obesity Society, and a professor and chair of the department of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. You still need to exercise and eat a reduced-calorie diet if your goal is to lose significant weight. For extra support and calorie-controlled meal ideas, try Everyday Health's free Meal Planner, which can be personalized to meet your weight-loss goals.
5. These drugs come with side effects. That’s true of every drug for any disease, Dr. Dhurandhar says. Qsymia can increase heart rate in some people, according to the FDA, and Contrave can cause seizures. In addition, side effects can make it hard to stick with your prescribed course, Dr. Gudzune notes.
6. Your doctor may need to change your dose over time. “Not everyone responds to the same drug in the same fashion, whether it’s weight-loss drugs or other drugs,” Dhurandhar says. Like any new medication, your physician may put you on a smaller dose to see how well the medication is tolerated. Be patient: Doctors have a small number of weight-loss drugs to choose from, and it can take time for them to come up with the right combination for you, he says. Keep a journal with information about how you're feeling, changes in weight, and what you've been eating to share with your doctor for optimal results.
7. You may have to be on the drugs long-term. “Taking a medication for three months usually doesn’t do the trick, and you gain the weight back when you stop,” Gudzune says. Like any weight-loss effort, you need to commit to a long-term plan to lose weight and keep it off.
8. All weight-loss medications aren’t created the same: Some block fats, while others curb appetite. The ones that block fat in the food you eat can have unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects. Orlistat, an oral medication that blocks fat absorption, is sold over-the-counter as Alli, and as the prescription Xenical. Other oral medications, like Belviq, Contrave, and Qsymia act as appetite suppressants. Saxenda is an injectable medication that mimics a hormone that tells your brain when you’re full. Talk to your doctor about a prescription and a plan that works with your lifestyle.
9. Only about a third of insurance companies cover weight-loss drugs. And another third have restrictions on what they will approve and when, according to Kaiser Health News. Visit your insurer's Web site to review a list of prescriptions that your plan covers. If your plan doesn’t cover these medications, you may qualify for a discount to help defray the cost of medication. The drugs can cost a couple of hundred dollars a month out-of-pocket, Gudzune says, so it’s worth doing your homework.
10. Some doctors are reluctant to address weight-loss drugs, and you may need to make a case for a prescription. In 2013, the American Medical Association recognized obesity as a disease, yet not all doctors treat it as such. Some doctors are reluctant to prescribe weight-loss drugs because they figure, "why expose people to the risks of drugs for something that’s not a disease?" Dhurandhar says. Doctors may also be reluctant because some drugs have been pulled from the market over the years due to extreme side effects and risks, Gudzune says. 

Remember that losing as little as 5 percent of your body weight can have significant health benefits, including reducing your risk of cancer and improving your cholesterol and blood pressure. If you're overweight or obese, don't be afraid to open up a dialogue with your physician about what kind of weight-loss help is available to you, including weight-loss plans, prescription drugs, nutritional counseling, and bariatric surgery.

Chips, Fries, Soda Most to Blame for Long-Term Weight Gain

The edict to eat less and exercise more is far from far-reaching, as a new analysis points to the increased consumption of potato chips, French fries, sugary sodas and red meat as a major cause of weight gain in people across the United States.
Inadequate changes in lifestyle factors such as television watching, exercise and sleep were also linked to gradual but relentless weight gain across the board.
Data from three separate studies following more than 120,000 healthy, non-obese American women and men for up to 20 years found that participants gained an average of 3.35 pounds within each four-year period — totaling more than 16 pounds over two decades.
The unrelenting weight gain was tied most strongly to eating potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, red and processed meats and refined grains such as white flour.
"This is the obesity epidemic before our eyes," said study author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health and the division of cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "It's not a small segment of the population gaining an enormous amount of weight quickly; it's everyone gaining weight slowly."

"I was surprised how consistent the results were, down to the size of the effect and direction of the effect," he said.
The study is published in the June 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Participants included 50,422 women in the Nurses' Health Study, followed from 1986 to 2006; 47,898 women in the Nurses' Health Study II, followed from 1991 to 2003; and 22,557 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, tracked from 1986 to 2006.
The researchers assessed independent relationships between changes in lifestyle behaviors and weight changes within four-year periods, also finding that those doing more physical activity translated into 1.76 fewer pounds gained during each time period.
Participants who slept less than six hours or more than eight hours per night also gained more within each study period, as did those who watched more television (an average of 0.31 pounds for every hour of TV watched per day).

And fast food addicts, beware: Each increased daily serving of potato chips alone was associated with a 1.69 pound-weight gain every four years. Other foods most strongly associated with weight gain every four years were potatoes, including fries (a 1.28-pound gain), sugar-sweetened beverages (1-pound gain), unprocessed red meats (0.95-pound gain), and processed meats (0.93-pound gain).
Alcohol use was also associated with about a 0.41-pound gain per drink per day.
"These are the kinds of studies that help justify the basis for the dietary guidelines we've been trying to promote for years," said Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. "Really, there is a synergy of these lifestyle behaviors. It's not about a single food, or a single dietary technique, or exercising until your head falls off."
"These aren't extreme measures, either — just sitting in front of the TV a little less," Sandon added. "It's important to get across that it's the whole package, not any one thing."
Foods associated with stable weight or less weight gain included vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, yogurt and low-fat dairy food. The findings were broadly consistent with cross-sectional national trends regarding diet and obesity, the authors said, noting that the average calorie intake in the United States increased 22 percent among women and 10 percent among men between 1971 and 2004.
"Our take-home message is what you eat affects how much you eat," Mozaffarian said. "It's not just a blanket message about reducing everything. Each individual lifestyle factor has a pretty small effect by itself, but the combined effect can explain that gradual weight gain."
Sandon said weight-reduction programs such as Weight Watchers work for many because they focus on changing behavior over the long term instead of focusing on quick fixes.
"I don't think people are unaware of what they should be doing, but how do we change that motivation so we change behavior on a daily basis?" she said. "It's a process."

Weight Gain Hits Women After Marriage, Men After Divorce

Tying or untying the knot seems to affect men's and women's waistlines differently: A new study shows that women are more apt to pile on excess pounds after marriage, while men add the weight after a divorce.
"Clearly, the effect of marital transitions on weight changes differs by gender," lead author Dmitry Tumin, a doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State University, said in a university news release.
His team looked at weight gain in the two years following a marriage or divorce among more than 10,000 people in the United States surveyed from 1986 to 2008.
Both men and women who divorced or married were more likely than never-married people to have a small weight gain in the two years following their marital transition, the team found.
In most cases, the weight gain was minor and not a serious health threat. But the risk of incurring a large weight gain was higher among men after a divorce and among women after getting married.

"Divorces for men and, to some extent, marriages for women promote weight gains that may be large enough to pose a health risk," Tumin concluded.
The study didn't examine the reasons why major weight gain is more likely for men after a divorce and for women after marriage, and the research did not go beyond the two-year marital transition period. But the findings fit with previous research.
"Married women often have a larger role around the house than men do, and they may have less time to exercise and stay fit than similar unmarried women," study co-author and sociology professor Zhenchao Qian theorized in the news release. "On the other hand, studies show that married men get a health benefit from marriage, and they lose that benefit once they get divorced, which may lead to their weight gain."
The researchers also found that people over age 30 were most likely to gain weight after marriage or divorce, and the risk grew stronger as people grew older.
This may be because they've settled into certain patterns of diet and physical activity, the researchers said.
"As you get older, having a sudden change in your life like a marriage or a divorce is a bigger shock than it would have been when you were younger, and that can really impact your weight," Tumin said.
The research was to be presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Las Vegas.

Beneficial Details Of Workers Compensation Chino

By Joanna Walsh

Staff repayment is among the challenging obligations for organizations, specifically when a major accident happens. Additionally, staffs still find it demanding at that moment, specifically if the organizations plan to evade the reimbursement. Always be heedful and, perhaps recruit a legal representative to assist you. Subsequently, there are many particulars of workers compensation chino locals need to think about.

As soon as a misfortune has happened while you carry out your daily regimens at your employers place, you have to be compensated. The payoff might be in the form of regular payouts or maybe your hospital bill might be payed off. Your employer must ensure that you receive such benefits at the right time. Nevertheless, that is not usually the scenario. Some might conceal some important details about their employees that will imply that no repayment would be done.

Due to this, you should try to find a legal representative to help you make a declaration, possibly when the process appears sophisticated. This may be acceptable when you had applied for an insurance policy and you need a payout. Regarding an insurance claim, you have to provide reliable facts. The payback will never be made should you provide deceptive facts.

The plan requires that you designate your kids or other relatives as the recipients. In the event of fatality, they would get the remuneration. Because of this, you need to inform them of the agreement. There are instances where the recipients are unable to make a claim mainly because they are unaware of the agreement. For a majority of insurance companies, if a claim is not published within a designated period after the fatality of the policy owner, the agreement is terminated.

Once you enter into the contract, you will be required to remit some contributions on a monthly basis. Once you make a claim, the amount to be paid is calculated from the principal amount. If you had contributed more, then a percentage or even the entire amount will be paid. Therefore, the more you contribute the better. Nevertheless, some companies would only pay back a small percentage which is quite unfair.

In case of permanent incapacitation, the payment would be spread over an extensive period of time. Every month you will receive a percentage of the principal amount. This will go on until the date you had included in the agreement. Some insurance covers will cover you for the rest of your life. However, the monthly contributions will as well vary according to the remuneration expected.

A few companies will fail to take into account their staff members after treatment. A few might lower the wage and treat you as a beginner. This is a distracting time, therefore you ought to look for a judicial remedy. That is not accepted, in fact it is against the code of ethics.

In case you get sick or injure while at your place of work, you should be compensated. Take a legal action against employers who will fail to remit the reimbursement or those who will not consider you after recovery. Think about the monthly contribution you make since they affect the amount payable.

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Positive Thinking Seminars And Counselling And Its Benefits

By Joanna Walsh

A rough battle among individuals has been provoked in academic or business especially in our society for the living age of today has increased its standard. That would most likely explain why a man living in the era of today will indeed encounter the hardships that is always present in each portion of living. Surely, you will feel fatigued if you are talentless enough in fitting in.

Darwin is also famous as he declares his famous quote that our life is survived by the fittest and the unfit is being eradicated. But due to such, there has been a tension among each person and pessimism is the thing that inhabits their minds due to a performance that is poor. If you have noticed yourself having such sorts of thoughts, then attend positive thinking seminars.

This activity will give you a stronghold on every difficult situation that you encounter. That is because there is no better motivator than having a positive mind. Always take note that without your cooperation, even if you have a lot of supporters, you will not be able to arrive to your destination.

You can see in this world, especially in this generation that there are a lot of suicidal cases and attempts due to the negative mindset of individuals who could not find help in dealing with their stressful situation. Usually, suicide is committed due to failures in career, education, love, and life. So if you are in any of these situations, it would be best to seek this helpful seminar.

This is a great help in giving you hope whenever you feel down most especially if you really could not deal with your problems yourself. What is actually good with this kind of seminar is that knowledgeable people can help you. These individuals are basically professionals who have a course related to psychology.

Those are the type of people who execute counselling for those who are confused, distressed and problematic for such individuals are the one who study such course in their college and in graduate programs. Furthermore, those working for this career are usually also veterans. They would surely accommodate you if you try to contact them.

Seminars are often brought to different venues. Most of the time, they are set up by organizations. But other than these scheduled seminars, there are also those which are requested and planned. Since this is not a regular class session, you cannot demand for a daily schedule for this.

So when you feel like attending and listening to a forum, you will need to find and wait for a schedule. Well you can learn that from announcements in public. Banners and posts will be placed in boards for announcements and important spots. So be keen. Or you may ask a company that hosts seminar schedules.

But if you would want an easier or more focused attention given to you, then it would be better to consult with a counsellor. Since this is a face to face encounter, you can better express your thoughts and feelings and get detailed answers. And so with this, you can get a more far fetched encouragement that will really develop you a positive mind.

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You can visit thejoyfullifeproject.com for more helpful information about The Aid Of Joining Positive Thinking Seminars And Counselling.

Tips In Choosing Racehorse Partnerships

By Stella Gay

A lot of people want to amass great wealths. This way, they can buy the things they need and want. They usually start their own businesses. Some also make good investments.

Such investments could differ. Several men are engaging in racehorse partnerships. Through the partnerships, they could be enjoying races and earning profits. A potential investor should be taking some factors into consideration when he will be looking for the association.

There are two primary methods that the investors can utilize so that they can find these groups. They can either get referrals or conduct Internet searches. For the former, they can ask referrals from other people who are also into these activities. For the latter, they can also launch their Internet browsers and use their search engines. The enthusiasts should take note of the names, the contact details and the office addresses of these organizations. This way, they can make further inquiries about certain matters.

Whether he will be gathering referrals or conducting an online search, the individual should be verifying the reputation of his source prior to joining the group. He should see to it that he will be choosing a group with a favorable reputation in the field. This way, he could be assuring himself that he will be getting the outcome he wants for the venture.

He should also be verifying the legality of the organization. He should be looking for the legal documents of this group, like their license and business permit. This way, the investor could be proving their legality. These documents will be permitting the organization of conducting their everyday operations legally. They could be securing these documents after completing their registration with a certain government regulatory board.

The conditions of these thoroughbreds should also be inspected by the enthusiasts. The breeds should be healthy so that they will be desired to be purchased by lots of buyers. These steeds should be taken good care of by veterinarians and trainers so that their good conditions can be maintained. They should also be prepared for sales and races.

Several organizations offer a lot of perks to their partners. The investors may have free tickets so that they can watch the races. They may also get the best seats in the venues where they can clearly watch the competitions. They could also have access to stable areas or even parties that celebrate the wins of certain steeds.

They should also know the methods that these groups will employ so that they can disseminate important information to their investors. These information usually include the earnings of the organizations, the racing schedules, the racing venues, and others. The groups may have to send monthly mails to the residences of their partners. Nowadays, though, most groups will send monthly electronic mails online.

How these groups will have the earnings distributed should also be known by the enthusiasts. The percentages of profits that will be obtained by them should be known. The schedules when such profits will be distributed and how these can be obtained should also be known. Checks are provided by some while others will have them deposited in personal bank accounts.

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Criteria For Buying Perfect Hearing Aids Wilmington NC

By Stella Gay

The best hearing aid is a device for one or both ears that best helps you address a hearing impairment. All devices use similar parts to carry sound from the environment into your ear and make them louder. It may help ease your concerns to know more about what to look for when buying an earpiece. Here are some considerations for optimizing the chances that you will be one of those people lucky to possess the best hearing aids Wilmington NC.

Look for an ear expert for suitable websites. Your audiologist will show you how to use and maintain your device, including how to insert them, clean them, change batteries etc. The earpiece will last for at least five years. You are likely to make some adjustments on the advice such as repairs and hearing checks during the life of the devices. Your audiologist will take into account your ability to manage the device.

You do not want lots of control and adjustment over your earpiece. Look for an earpiece that needs to be switched on and off with no other adjustments. Therefore, you want them to be simply set and forget devices. Pick the gadget on the strength of your choice and extent of deafness. You should buy a device only after exhaustive tests and explanations. Select a device that will fit appropriately without causing pain or soreness.

One of the most important aspects of an enjoyable earpiece experience is that you like the sound quality of the earpiece. The characteristics of each earpiece need to be selected specifically to maximize sound quality, fit; comfort and safety e. G. Shell size, material, style, venting and tubing. You should aim at buying an earpiece which is automatic and does not need adjustment.

Some people are concerned with cosmetics and prefer the least noticeable earpiece. The problem is that the smallest gadget may not be the most suitable ear solution for you for a variety of reasons. Completely in the canal, aids are the smallest and most discreet device. They are however not suitable for persons who experience discharge from their ears.

One of the common causes of the earpiece failure is that moisture and earwax fill up the receiver tubing of the earpiece causing the speaker to no longer function correctly. Look for a high quality device that is waterproof. It is imperative you purchase a device with proven methods of keeping earwax out of the gadget. Select an ear device that is automatic with self-adjusting mechanism.

The price of the earpiece can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the style and features. Whilst online prices can seem attractive, make sure you are comparing prices appropriately. Many gadgets advertised online give you a price for the device only. In addition, they are not supported by local audiology clinics as the software and hardware required to adjust the earpiece is not compatible.

Before selling an earpiece, a dispenser must get a written statement from the patient, signed by a licensed physician. The statement must say that the patient's ears have been clinically tested and evaluated, and that the patient is cleared for fitting with a device. The information should be current. The medical evaluation must have taken place in the preceding six months.

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