Reductil approved in Brazil - What does it mean for the rest of us?

By : Zanna | Published : Thursday October 20, 2011 | Posted in : Weight Loss | Comments

In a daring move with regards to the global battle against obesity, the Brazilian government has approved the chemical sibutramine, commonly known as Reductil, for usage in the South American nation. The highly successful treatment provided users with an effective and easy way of losing excess weight quickly, however, was removed from legal usage in the United Kingdom and United States after concerns were raised over the health impact for those with heart problems.

Since it was banned in 2010, the demand and interest in Reductil has grown exponentially despite the negative side effects surrounding the treatment. The approval it has now garnered in Brazil has reopened the debate as to the appropriateness of the medication in helping patients lose excess weight and assist with obesity.

For the most part, this could possibly be attributed to the raising levels of obesity and overweight sufferers all around the world itself. More and more people find themselves in the situation where they are carrying too much weight and putting their bodies at increased risk for health issues. Obesity can cause cardiovascular problems, damage to circulation and is now recognised as one of the leading causes for Type 2 diabetes.

Does the usage of a treatment like Reductil, warrant its availability given the dangers inherent to obesity. Well, it’s a double-edged sword really.

On one hand, excess weight is having a huge impact on healthcare and health worldwide on its own. Millions of pounds are being spent to deal with the pandemic –like situation and overall health of populations are dropping drastically. Reductil could help by providing an easy and effective form of weight loss treatment, along the lines of Xenical, but by actively targeting the hunger of patients and by reducing that. While it sounds negative, many of the foods we eat now days are loaded with chemicals that make us crave them more; a medication like this could exceptionally helpful in breaking that cycle.

On the other hand, Reductil has its own past. Clinical studies showed that it increased the cardiovascular risks of some patients drastically; subsequently it was pulled as a completely safe treatment. Equally important therefore is the health of the patient in terms of the medication they use being safe and having minimal side effects. A further problem is that Reductil was often perceived as an easy way out for people to shed some unwanted pounds – which while completely understandable – is not its intention as it is really only designed for those with extreme weight issues.

The problem then is balancing the two, and it appears that this is exactly what the Brazilian government wishes to attempt to do. By having a highly effective obesity treatment available to the population, but regulating and making it harder for the treatment to be prescribed. Especially in cases of patients suffering from existing heart conditions and only to those who have genuine obesity problems. While it will prove incredibly difficult, it will be interesting to see what the results are.

Will it work? Time will tell. Should Reductil be implemented here in the United Kingdom to help fight obesity? There’s no guarantee that despite potential success in Brazil, it will return anytime soon. What does it mean for the rest of us? We’ll just have to wait and see.

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