Tuesday, July 28, 2009

This Month's Drug Topics Blog Fodder.

The nation's leading trade magazine this month covers the latest in diabetes care:


The caption to the left says, in part:

Erik Chopin (center) winner of Season Three of "The Biggest Loser," recently joined executives from Novo Nordisk, Bayer, and Health Mart in San Diego to announce a new campaign called Health Across America: Pharmacists Partnering in Diabetes Care......

"I've worked with my community pharmacist for years to help manage my diabetes," Choplin said. "I encourage others with diabetes or chronic conditions to engage in healthy conversations with pharmacists"

OK Erik, let's have a healthy conversation.

Now, I don't watch a lot of TV, almost none really, so bear with me here, but I understand "The Biggest Loser" is some sort of televised competition, the object of which is to lose weight. We televise people losing weight in this country, which pretty much explains why my set is never on. Anyway Erik, I see you evidently won the third edition of this show. So....um....how do I say this.....

Are we supposed to be pretending you're not a fatass then? Because you have man-boobies. Total man-boobies. You could lose as much as I weigh and still probably not be the lightest person in that picture.

Which wouldn't be that big a deal except that you are being held up as some sort of example to the diabetics of the world. Maybe the new diabetes treatment paradigm involves just making the patient feel good about their body as opposed to getting them to do something to help themselves. Preserve self esteem over necrotic foot tissue.

You gotta hand it to the corporate stooges in that pic though. Look how they're soldering on like their little PR stunt isn't being made a mockery of. "Yes, the beached whale here among us is a prime example of the commitment Erik and Norvo Nordisk share to being in control of your health."

Put down the Ho-Ho Erik, or give back the endorsement money. That's my healthy advice to you.

You're Welcome.

8 comments:

Scritches.com said...

For what it's worth, he started out at 407.

Anonymous said...

"I've worked with my community pharmacist for years to help manage my diabetes"

Let me translate this for you!

"My pharmacist always fills my metformin and glyburide for me when I call in my fatsomyalgia medication (vicodin and soma) even when I dont ask for them! I get them for $0 copay so I dont complain!"

midwest woman said...

umm perhaps there is a double entendre with the use of the term the biggest loser? Besides everyone knows the best way to manage diabetes is lots of meds...no profit in exercise and diet. silly drug monkey.

Anonymous said...

Idea is that risks are reduced: (even a 10% wt loss), controlled BP, HbA1C < 7%, lipids within range. Lifetime or even long time obesity--hard to return to state of ideal body weight. One might guess that if he's been called the biggest loser, that he realy has lost a lot of weight and made some significant lifestyle changes (something more permanent than STAT phentermine or phenylpropanolamine). Just a guess. Have some fat-free non-sweetened yogurt with that empathy.

Jessica said...

Mmm, gotta disagree with you on this one. The dude lost an assload of weight to win the contest. Considering 1) how few people lose weight even when their health demands it and 2) how difficult it is to stick to a diet and exercise program when you have gone years without being healthy, I see Erik as a rare example of someone doing something active about their health.

Yep, he's still fat. He's *less fat* than he was, and I bet his HbA1c is down and his glycemic control is improved. He can certainly continue losing weight until he hits whatever the goal for his height is, and then he gets to maintain for the rest of his life.

The problem with being fat is that you can't just "put down the ho-hos" and starve yourself until you're thin. Erik is an "example to the diabetics" of this country because he actually did the work to lose the weight. When's the last time you counseled someone to do something hard or unpleasant and they actually did it?

I don't watch the show either, but based on interviews I've read with the contestants, they work HARD. And even for the ones who are maintaining a new lower weight, they're doing 60+ minutes of cardio plus 30+ minutes of weight training every day. Really underlines for the public just how much effort it really takes to lose weight and keep it off.

Still love the blog, just not this post :)

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for the guy. He apparently lost 200 lbs with vigorous exercise and a healthy diet while "competing" but has now gained an awful lot of it back.

Unfortunately, that makes him a great spokesperson for those marketing diabetes drugs: "See, America, sustained weight loss is just not possible. Sure, if you lose 100 lbs, you won't need our drugs anymore, but believe us, you're gonna gain it all back, and then you'll come crying back to us to manage your hyperglycemia, your metabolic syndrome, your myriad other complaints."

I actually like the premise of the show - morbidly obese people can lose tons of weight (literally!) with, wait for it, nothing more than diet and exercise (who knew?). It can be inspirational. But, it can also be deflating and make people give up hope. Why even bother trying to lose weight when even this guy can't keep it off, plus the drug industry is right there, ready and waiting for me? Isn't it easier to keep eating the ho-ho's and take my metformin?

Yup, why bother? Stay fat, take drugs, buy the pre-digested salted fat molecules corporate America calls "food," and ask your pharmacist about insulin.

Unknown said...

Dude-this is cold and vicious even for you! What's the matter with you? Erik seems like a cool guy that cares about sending a good msg to diabetics. The new diabetes treatment is ongoing monitoring and care and you of all yahoos should know how important that is with any chronic disease. Three big real cheers for the Indie pharmacists around the USA who are taking this stuff on and really helping people. And as for you dude, quit sounding like Fox TV News!

ThatDeborahGirl said...

Sweetie I realize that although last year I was big as a house and I lost 80 pounds, I'm still half a house.

Don't jump on the bandwagon of despising fat people.