Patt Morrison for Wednesday, December 15, 2010

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:06 – 1:58:30

OPEN

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

Weighing the options, FDA tips scales toward caution when approving anti-obesity drugs

Forget “Biggest Loser” or Lap-Band ads that sound too good to be true—study after study shows that even with diet and exercise, the average obese individual can only hope to lose about 10% of their total body mass.  That’s why doctors who treat obese patients are eager to find a drug that can help their patients reach a healthy weight.  So far the Food and Drug Administration has sidelined most recent efforts, denying approval of two weight-loss drugs and withdrawing a third from the market in the past year.  Haunted by memories of drugs like Fen-phen and its subsequent health risks such as an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, FDA officials say the drugs carry unacceptable risks for unimpressive results.  But critics argue the FDA’s guidelines are too stringent and frame obesity as more of a cosmetic and less of a medical issue, overlooking the health risks associated with obesity, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, some cancers and even possibly dementia.  They also worry that drug companies will abandon the anti-obesity market.  At a time when almost 34% of American adults are obese, how should the health risks of obesity be weighed against imperfect and relatively ineffective medications?

 

-         Last week the FDA did recommend approval of the weight-loss drug Contrave, a combination of the antidepressant bupropion and the anti-addiction medication maltrexone, but the FDA is unenthusiastic about the medication’s effectiveness

-         The FDA recently endorsed expanding eligibility for Lap-Band surgery to candidates who are less-extremely obese, but experts say that surgery does nothing for people who are overweight but not obese.

Guests:

THINKS THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE APPROVAL OF WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS:

Dr. Ken Fujioka, Director of Nutrition and Metabolic Research at the Scripps Green Hospital in San Diego, where he is also director of their Center for Weight Management. Most recently, he chaired the Obesity Society’s clinical committee

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MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT FDA’s APPROVAL:

Dr. Abraham Thomas, division head of Endocrinology at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He was acting chairman on the FDA advisory panels that reviewed the weight loss drugs Meridia and Lorqess and a member of the panel that reviewed Qnexa.

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2:30 – 2:58:30

‘Tis the season to be… angry about religion

According to many in the media and across the country, Santa had better get his hard hat and AK-47 ready, because there’s a war brewing across the country against Christmas. Okay – maybe it’s not that dire, but over the past few years, greetings most likely aimed at being politically correct (like Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas) have been decried as public attacks against Christmas. From a parade in Tulsa changing its name and leaving out the word Christmas to allegations that a school district banned the colors red and green, some in the country, especially the media, seem determined to promote the idea that there’s an actual campaign against Christmas. So what’s the real deal? Is it really about the sanctity of a religion, or more to do with ratings? And why is a time of the year that’s supposed to be marked by peace being turned into a time to bicker with those who follow different philosophies?

 

Guests:

Diane Winston, Knight Chair in Media and Religion at the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California.

IN-STUDIO

 

 

 

Jonathan Serviss

Producer, Patt Morrison Program

Southern California Public Radio

NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles

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415.497.2131, mobile

jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org

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