Weight Loss Breakthroughs: A Novel Approach to Dieting And the First FDA-Approved OTC Diet Drug

In the United States alone, it is estimated that about 60 million adults are obese or overweight. This amounts to over 30% of the total adult population. Of the people who are identified as obese or overweight, nearly two-thirds are on a diet at any given time.

As such, the weight loss industry has ballooned to a historically unprecedented level of success. New diet plans are constantly being unveiled, and studies that seek to uncover causes, complications, and cures for obesity are some of the most active areas of research. The government funds studies on obesity in order to reduce the billions of dollars spent annually on obesity-related illnesses and diseases. Private corporations continue to study obesity in order to create lucrative weight loss products.

As a result, significant findings pertaining to weight loss, diet success, and obesity reduction are being released on a near-constant basis. This week, we?ll take a look at several new and novel approaches to weight loss, including the Hot Sauce Diet and a new diet drug that is slated for release in the summer of 2007.

The Hot Sauce Diet and the Weight Loss Benefits of Spicy Foods

Over the years, there have been weight-loss programs that span the entire nutritional spectrum, ranging from low-carb to low-fat and encompassing possible point in between. It?s hard to imagine that a truly original approach to weight loss could still be possible, but several teams of researchers have achieved this seemingly impossible feat with recent reports that tout the weight loss benefits of spicy foods.

Baltimore, Maryland-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Spiro Antoniades advocates a diet approach based on the liberal use of hot sauce in his recently published book, The Hot Sauce Diet: A Journey of Behavior Modification. Antoniades himself claims to have dropped 70 lbs. using the weight-loss technique he espouses in the book.

Rather than claiming that hot sauce have any special weight loss properties, Antoniades recommends a unique use for salsas and other spicy condiments: he proposes that you use them as a way to modify your eating behavior and portion sizes. In short, Antoniades proposes that those seeking to lose weight use hot sauce to train themselves to eat less. In addition, the doctor proposes the use of large amounts of hot sauce as a way to encourage more water consumption, which many previous studies have confirmed to be an important component of a successful weight loss campaign.

Admittedly, Antoniades? approach is a bit unorthodox, and some critics have called the safety of his diet into question. However, another team of researchers recently suggested that hot and spicy foods may, in fact, play an important role in promoting weight loss, albeit for different reasons than the ones Antoniades emphasizes.

Although the research remains controversial, some scientists believe that spicy foods contain thermogenic properties that may increase the speed and efficiency of the body?s metabolism. In other words, some believe that the act of consuming a meal that contains spicy chiles or salsas, especially those that have the chemical compounds known as ?capsaicinoids,? can burn calories. Other scientists have hypothesized that people tend to eat less and feel more satisfied when they consume a meal containing spicy ingredients.

While the research findings on the issue of spicy foods remains inconclusive at the current juncture, if you are trying to lose weight, it may be worth it to do a little experimentation of your own. Try preparing a healthy meal topped with a generous serving of spicy salsa or hot sauce and see what happens!

Over-The-Counter Diet Drug Hits Stores on June 15

Although there are dozens of diet pills that can be purchased at your local drugstore, none of them have been proven effective or safe enough to merit approval by the FDA. Until now, that is. The first over-the-counter, FDA-approved diet pill will go on sale a week before the first day of summer.

The drug, known as Alli, promotes weight loss by blocking the body?s absorption of dietary fat. About 25% if the fat that is consumed in the diet is blocked from entering your body with ongoing consumption of the drug. Along with a sensible eating plan and a fitness regimen, it is believed that the drug may promote faster weight loss by encouraging the body to burn excess calories that are stored as fat.

It?s unclear whether the drug will be embraced by the dieting public, but considering the success of many past weight-loss drug, it seems likely that the over-the-counter drug will be a hit with those trying to shed excess pounds.

Still, weight loss experts remind us that the most effective way to lose weight is to avoid the temptation of gimmicks and fads and stick to what has been shown time and time again to work wonders: eating less and moving more. Watch this space for more updates on the latest diet and weight loss breakthroughs.