The problem is not finding a pill that works, it is making a Life Changing decision to live a healthier life. I can't find a pill that allows me to contintue smoking without the health risks either. I know it is either QUIT or suffer the results. I don't expect to find a pill or a doctor that will fix the problem and allow me to have both. There is a simple answer for both of us, say you have had enough! I have been through the weight thing too. Tried everything from contraptions to pills. Nothing works but pushing yourself away from the table. Eat what is healthy and only eat until hunger is gone. Eat to live, don't live to eat. If you live to eat, your going to be heavy. It is a life decision, your decision.

I know someone who had the lap band surgery. It was amazingly effective and she is a much happier person now. She thought it would be because she was "thin" but it turns out it's because she feels better and healthier. Unfortunately, she had to cash in a piece of her inheritance to do it and now that she is almost finished she is realizing that after all her hard work and all that money she still feels hopeless to finish since it will cost her a further $15000 to have the surgery to remove all the hanging skin.
I lost just over 100 pounds over two years ago and find that I am having the same feeling - my last 50 pounds are nearly impossible to commit to because I know that no matter what I do I will always look like I'm overweight and out of shape when in fact I am in great shape and it's all hanging skin.
Losing is a double edged sword.

I totally agree with Conny B. I feel the exact same way. If Lap Band is so much safer than Gastric Bypass than why isn't it covered by Medical ? I've tryed every diet ever invented, every pill known to man I've been on 3 different prescription weight loss drugs. Ionamin didn't work. Meridia Well that one is contraversial, it tricks your brain into thinking your full.The only thing that did was gave me major headaches. Nothing worked until 2 yrs ago when my Dr. put me on Xenical.At first I was sceptical but let me tell you I nick named it "the little blue magic pill" It's amazing. I lost 35 lbs. in 3 months. Then I got pregnant, stopped taking it. Now I've been back on it for a month and lost 10 more lbs. It's called Xenical & you need a prescription. It works like Alli but its stronger.It stops your body from absorbing most of the fat in your food, therefore your not absorbing those calories either. The good thing is it doesn't get absorbed into your bloodstream so it's safe and it teaches you how to eat better. The bad things are its about $140 a month. and if you eat a high fat dinner a few days later your going to be spending alot of time in the bathroom, you might even need to wear a diaper because the fat seems to come out sometimes without warning.but as long as you don't go crazy on deep fried food it'll be O.K. Some extended health plans will cover the cost of these pills, some won't.Mine didn't but my husbands does as long as I had a note from my Dr. saying it was neccisary. So in conclusion if you don't mind some diareah these pills are definately worth it because they really do work !

I may be a bit off the topic, but I an upset and saddened at our medical system. I am obese, I have done all the weightloss programs and taken all the pills, they are only short term fixes.
I want the lap band surgery and cannot get it cause I would have to pay for it myself, but if I opted for a more evasive surgery such as the Gastric sleeve, or gastic bypass BC Medical would pay for it. Or if my doctor could perscibe yet another diet pill I would pay and the medical system goes around again. I am not alone, I know of many BC residents that are begging, borrowing and financing to go out of country for this surgery or paying the surgeon here in Canada.
I am talking with people everyday who are waiting 2 or 3 years just to see a certain BC surgeon that does weight loss surgery, but because the specialist who does the lap band thought I would be paying cash I got an appointment within 2 months. Now that I am aware that I have to pay I may as well cancel my appointment I cannot afford $15000.
If obesity is so bad in Canada and people are wanting to make a better life for themselves with the help of the lap band surgery whay would the BC medical service deny them the benifit. They say it is elective surgery, trust me its the last resort for me and many others, there is nothing elective about it.
They have to also realize that out of the lap band, gastric sleeve and by pass the lap band cause the lease amount of health issues after surgery.
I am not sure media coverage would change the issue with our medical coverage but I am willing to try.
Thanks for reading.

I understand that this is "old" news but when I happened upon it tonight I felt I had to comment. I eat a fairly healthy diet but unfortunately suffer from severe fibromyalgia (it is so bad I had to quit working). I cannot exercise on a regular basis so no matter how healthy I eat I either maintain the same weight or gain because of a prescription side effect. I have to take the prescription medication to manage my life and cannot go off of it at this point.

I would rather take a pill than have gastric bypass or lap band surgery. For some of us prescription meds are the only way to go.

Another magic bullet....and with such such charming side effects...why not just choose delicious, satisfying ,healthy ,foods
that have a lower GI rating as well as a lower fat content.Its not rocket science. What is probably needed is an educational campaign to inform the general public as to what those foods are.The new Canada's Food Guide purports to address these issues but unfortunately the beef and dairy industry hold too strong a sway on Health Canada. There is no recommendation to limit consumption of red meat or whole milk. Even the McCains of french fry fame publicly complained that the guide discouraged their products protesting that their fries met Health Canada guidelines. Despite departmental talk of eliminating trans fats from all commercially prepared foods in Canada the guide falls down by not telling people to avoid them as much as possible.Lastly, the guide's suggestion to make only half of grain choices whole grain doesn't help matters either.

Oh Joy Oh Bliss

Another pill that will sucker in some people who don't know any better. Here's a thought, what if everybody stopped taking all their man made remedies and chemicals they absorb everyday and started eating home cooked(toss out the microwave)organic food and drinking pure unchlorinated water and did not ingest anything that had a man made ingredient in it(that includes personal care products too). Best thing a person can do to lose weight is get back to nature. Eat what you want 3 times a day and snack in between meals but just make sure nothing that goes into your body is man made. Walk for an hour everyday outside and look at the world around you.

Just one more step to move towards being dependent.
Why do for ourselves what a pill can do for us.
Instead, of removing TV dinners and fast food from our diets and go for the homecooked fresh vitimin rich meals. Why? The the TV dinner is faster.
Anything to save a moment or two. With working parents and over scheduled kids, comes the thoughts to make everything faster, easier and in pill form. Trans-fats, high fat, high sodium, low nutrient foods are killing our people, but who cares we can fix it with a pill.
Gym memberships prices keep going up, but walking outdoors is cheaper anyways, "what and brave the climate changes"
We know what we need, we just want it quicker.
Why not a pill? We've tried everything else. Haven't We?

The approval of this drug is unneccasary. The whole drug industry and approval system I find disturbing. The recent announcement that Vitamin D will prevent 75% of breast and cervicle cancer cases. The real question is Why? when vitamins have obvious health benefits and billions upon billions have been spent in the name of cancer research does it take over 60 years to announce what seems an obvious answer. Why were vitamins not the very first products studied? I have proven to my friends and family that Vitamin C can prevent the common cold and flu, yet my doctor can not be convinced. The medical proffession is still pushing unneccesary anti-biotics rather than push a vitamin regime that would bust an individuals immune system and prevent a great deal of communicable bacteria and viruses. I suspect that an investigative jounalist that asked this question repeatedly would find him or herself in harms way. The only real answer is "the almighty dollar leads the way in cancer research and not the desire to find a cure." A very public revelation of the directionality of cancer research by the drug companies may lead to suggestions of nationalizing drug development. If production of medicine was controled by the people, medicines would be designed to benefit people rather than the drug companies.