Another medical "miracle" that makes me a little bit nauseous
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While I'm visiting my parents, my husband is still at home. He called me today, obviously thrilled to share this little bit of news with me...apparently part of him gets a kick out of making me feel sick.
Anyway, here's a link to the article. The long & the short of it is this: researchers are testing drugs in mice that are apparently mimicking the effects of exercise: increasing muscular endurance & increasing fat burning. Apparently, these drugs are more affective when combined with exercise, but one of them appears to show benefits even on sedentary mice.
So why would this make me nauseous? Well, here's one quote from the lead researcher, Ronald Evans, "It proves you can have a pharmacological equivalent to exercise." That alone makes me sick, because, honestly, I don't see how you can boil down the positive effects of exercise to simply increasing muscular endurance & increasing fat burning. What about the prevention of Alzheimers? What about improved bone mass? What about increased endorphins & the positive affects it has on those suffering from depression? Can it help with stability? These are the things that feed into long and healthy lives, and boiling these down to pill form seems both impossible and appalling.
At the end of the article, the researcher does point out that his goal is to encourage people to use it in conjunction with exercise, or to encourage sedentary individuals to start an exercise program, but, he does add: "if, as I suspect, people look at it as a substitute for exercise, that would be bad news indeed." Ummm, yeah. When have you ever known an American NOT to look for the easy way out? That's exactly what's going to happen if these drugs are released into the market. They will just be another "happy pill" that promises results, ultimately can't deliver, & people end up confused, dejected, and on the lookout for their next quick fix.
Please, make the maddness stop.
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Comments
Yeah...I know...:(
Of course those who created this will laugh all the way to the bank. Then a few years down the road they wil discover that it causes some type of cancer. Most likely they will be sued but will pay almost nothing compared to what they made.
Great hub Boss Number 1 .
I agree completely, SirDent! And the thing is, I'm not against drugs, per se. Obviously drugs have extended lives, saved lives, helped improve lifestyle. I'm not against medicine at all, what I am against is having a pill for everything. If this drug is used to help patients of muscular dystrophy...great! If its used for sedentary people to have pretend-exercise...in my humble opinion, that's a cop out & not worth the potential side-effects the drug will most likely have.
Ah, we're already living in A Brave New World... Does anyone else find it disturbing that someone thought it'd be a good idea to invent a pill and title it Soma? Connection... maybe, maybe not.
I'd hate to think what these pills are actually doing to those poor mice's innerds! I mean artificial muscle building sounds like it could get out of control. Tumors anyone? I won't even eat prepackaged food... they can keep their poisons.
I just heard about this drug this morning on The Daily Buzz. Yep, makes me sick, too, but I'm betting it will be wildly popular.
I couldn't agree more with you more Boss # 1...If people would exercise..eat right and stop taking chemical drugs they might feel better...There are so many Natural plants...God put here...that can be used..and how many millions..maybe trillions have been donated to research of cancer....also to feed OUR poor....not saying that medicine isn't good or much needed..we have stopped many diseases that killed us before.
And it also makes me sick how the drug company's and Insurance company's have so much control over who takes what? and why..I am dealing with my 89 year old Alzheimer mom and I fight like heck...with them..they are discusting..another whole Hub here.....Thank you for opening this up to discussion
:o) G-Ma Hugs
I actually posted this on 2 sites, & on the other site, there was an individual who pointed out that the drug could do some good. And, I guess I want to acknowledge that, yes, it could. Used in the right way, it COULD enable the bedridden to be able to gain enough stamina to start moving again...it COULD help those with muscular dystrophy or other physical ailments that prevent regular exercise. And under those circumstances, this could do a lot of good. That said, what I fear is that this drug would be misused by the general population for an "easy out" for exercise substitution.
Thanks CW & G-Ma for your comments...lets keep the discussion going...
I didn't think of those possible benefits, but ya, for those it really could, and hopefully will, be a miracle drug. But, we all know it will also be substituted for actual exercise. The profits will be too great not to be.
I doubt it still provides the euphoria of exercise and I know it won't provide the long-lasting effects of meeting people while you're out and about getting your work-out groove on. (Unless you start up conversations with people in line for the pharmacist, a habit I highly discourage.) For shame! I'm 100% with you on this, Boss, it's disgusting.
You're right, Nicole, there's no way that it can provide all the same effects of exercising, including the social effects! Good point!
Misha says:
16 months ago
As long as there is a demand, there will be a supply :(