The FastDay Forum

Another drug that gives some of the benefits of caloric restriction:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/07/3 ... life-span/

I'm sorry, but the article seems to suggest something along the line of: 'take metformin, eat all you want and get slimmer, live longer and you won't get diabetes'. It looks all too much like another ploy to have us buy and eat all those crappy foods that got us overweight in the first place. I'm not talking about people who are on metformin because they already have developed diabetes type 2, for those it can be an effective drug. But it should be remembered that every drug that has an effect, will have side effects as well. So given the choice between metformin and calorie restriction, I know where I'd go.

For one, the mice that lived longer had blood levels of metformin that were 10 times higher than those seen in humans taking the drug to treat diabetes, the researchers said. And mice put on an even higher dose of metformin actually had a decreased life span, because the drug was toxic (it caused kidney failure).

Shouldn't they be finding ways to encourage people not to have to take these drugs? Even if they are "relatively safe". (Relative to what)?

I found taking "slimming" drugs very helpful during times I eat more than usual but I tend to use the herbal ones. I wouldn't take a chemical because I've heard many horror stories about them.
(I know that herbs have chemicals too but you get what I mean by "herbal"...)

I'm sorry, but the article seems to suggest something along the line of: 'take metformin, eat all you want and get slimmer, live longer and you won't get diabetes'. It looks all too much like another ploy to have us buy and eat all those crappy foods that got us overweight in the first place... But it should be remembered that every drug that has an effect, will have side effects as well. So given the choice between metformin and calorie restriction, I know where I'd go.

Well said josie50

1 as we know on this forum, there are no real short cuts and the learning is part of the journey - this is hard, but the benefits should be obvious to anyone who has spent any length of time looking around the forums.

2 another side effect of this drug, apart from on the people who take it, will be on the coffers of the pharmaceutical company who've produced it!

3 surely the aim, as far as it is possible and practicable, should be to lose weight / get the health benefits without drugs - they should be a last resort for those who,ve tried, or been encouraged to try, other methods first

If you read the potential side effects it sound dreadful!