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With about one third of Americans weighing in as obese, the problems presented by losing weight are great. Americans are very interested in losing weight, but the increasingly sedentary lifestyle and easy to prepare processed foods that have made the United States the fattest country in the world have also shown an underlying problem with losing weight: Americans want it quick and easy. They want to put in as little effort as possible to get rid of their fat. There is a plethora of fat remedies. Everything from diet pills to special cellulite creams to surgery is tried. “Natural” herbs and supplements that “block cortisone” are all touted as fast ways to lose weight. Special diets promise that you can eat all sorts of tasty foods and still lose weight. Intense boot camps have people working intensely to get into shape in just a few weeks. With all of these options, Americans are spending upwards of $30 billion each year in trying to get thin.
The problem with all of these methods is that they rarely last, and that some of them can actually be dangerous to your health. Others may not hurt you, but they might not actually be effective. For example, appetite suppressants do not account for emotional eating. Some people eat when they are emotionally distraught. Others eat in social settings. Still others eat just because the food is there. Appetite suppressants do not work for these people because they eat for many reasons, and many of them having nothing to do with actually being hungry.
The latest entrant into the fray fighting for a piece of the $30 billion pie is a Swiss company called Cytos. This company is developing a so called “fat vaccine.” This would be an injection meant to help suppress the appetite and help you lose weight faster. However, this fat vaccine would require users to exercise and eat a healthier diet. The point is to help them lose weight faster than they would if they did not have the vaccine. This is a very interesting development, but it has yet to be tested on humans. The tests should reveal possible side effects of the fat vaccine, as well as pinpointing what it can really do.
Other ways to lose fat fast are well known. Surgery is one of the most popular. Stomach stapling and liposuction are both ways to get rid of fat. A stapled stomach holds less food, and it requires that the person eat less. This is important because someone who continues to eat at the same rate will find that the stomach stretches again, rendering the staples useless. Liposuction is a procedure in which the fat is literally sucked out of the body. Of course, the fat can always come back, so a lifestyle change is needed. And, as with all surgeries, either of these can result in complications that can be very dangerous and damaging. The bottom line is that no matter how fast you get rid of fat, you still have to make lifestyle changes in order to keep it off.
