Acomplia. Weight loss pill or the lifestyle drug?

A German medical body studied the new obesity treatment from Sanofi-Aventis called Acomplia and called it a "lifestyle" drug.

The court only supported this decision and thus now we have a legal binding and much to the relief of the health insurance companies, patients taking the Acomplia drug are not eligible for reimbursement under health care costs.

Who could have anticipated that a weight loss pill would end up in the court not over its efficacy or efficiency but rather over its role in today’s society ? While a cure for obesity is always welcome, the health insurance lobby didn’t want to be caught funding everyone’s desire to be in shape weight-wise. Their contestation was that the drug was useful, but it was not a treatment for any disease covered. It was merely a mirror of where society stands today, with little time for exercise and diet, and a desire to binge and damn the consequences for now. The result was obesity, linked with diabetes, cardiac risks etc. But per se, the companies felt that the pill from Sanofi, called Acomplia, was merely addressing this problem and definitely not curing any medical disease.

The judges and the medical council seemed to surprisingly, agree. They felt that obesity is not something you are born with, or contract as a diease, it’s something you bring upon yourself, and clearly, you and only you are responsible for improving your health. Thankfully, Acomplia is affordable, available and a viable option for those serious about restoring their health to a health level. It works in conjunction with exercise and diet and usually demands a long term consumption pattern – it is not for those who want to see overnight results. But weight does drop by as much as 10% in a couple of months.