A recent article on NPR talks about upcoming drugs for treating obesity.
It sounds like the drugs will do one or a combination of the following:
- curb or reduce the physiological desire to ingest food (aka appetite)
- modify certain psychological behaviorial conditions (like depression)
However, it sounds to me like that’s the path to “treating the symptoms and not the cause” — here’s why:
While we can certainly agree that a constant desire to eat (the wrong kinds of food) without proper exercise will most likely result in obesity, and we probably know someone who, when depressed, will reach for so-called “comfort” foods, these new drugs do not treat the true underlying causes leading to obesity.
- The drugs will not teach people that adequate physical activity is required to burn calories gained from eating
- The drugs will not show people what good food is, and how fun preparing and eating good meals can be
- The drugs will not address underlying psychological issues leading to depression, lack of self-esteem or self-control
In this author’s opinion, obesity is the result of a multitude of personal and social factors. A drug may temporarily have some effect, but in the end, it becomes an excuse for one to not deal with his or her true underlying mental and/or physiological issues.
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