When the body runs low on glucose (i.e. sugar for energy), it needs to get more and the metabolic pathways for doing that were the subjects of the study. (Science Daily: Consumption from within: How the brain controls our appetite)
The scientists identified AMPK, an enzyme which is fundamental to the process of triggering glucose metabolism and they discovered interfering with the production of AMPK prevents obese mice from eating so much.
The science is all very well for understanding the fat but it may not be so good for understanding the people since most probably do not have clinical problems with overweight.
Maybe take the sci-fi into "THX 1138" which was a movie starring Robert Duvall from way back in which people weren't forbidden to take drugs but rather the drugs were required by law. It's not too hard to conceive of a future in which AMPK pills are mandated because we sure don't want America to go back to that Old Obese way of life. No way good Americans want that, right?
We can sit about envisioning nightmare futures all day long but it doesn't mean any of them will ever happen. Nevertheless, it's conceivable that one could and for that reason. America's obesity is currently second in the world only to Mexico. There's an obvious problem to solve and it's one of the many which are largely ignored except for blaming people who fall victim.
(Ed: are you seriously calling all fat people 'victims?')
Yes but only to a point. If some chubby fucker got that way eating potato chips and jacking around with social networks, the problem isn't clinical but basic Lazy Ass Syndrome. Dismissing everyone into that category is not fair, tho, but usually that's how it goes.
Bringing it back to the top, understanding the metabolism is all very well but what will you do with it. Say someone does get lazy for a while, puts on too many pounds and finds it much harder to lose them than it was to gain them. Will you prescribe AMPK for a month? for life? What happens when this person stops taking the medication. Will he or she just get fat again so there's no alternative except a lifetime prescription.
Here at the Rockhouse we won't reject medicines out of hand but there's substantial concern about using them improperly and one example is using medications to control a non-clinical situation which may well turn a smaller problem into a long-term clinical problem.
You may disagree with my thoughts on things but agreement isn't a requirement. Disagreement may well reveal something I have not considered so disagreement would actually be preferred because, presto, now there's a discussion.
The scientists identified AMPK, an enzyme which is fundamental to the process of triggering glucose metabolism and they discovered interfering with the production of AMPK prevents obese mice from eating so much.
The science is all very well for understanding the fat but it may not be so good for understanding the people since most probably do not have clinical problems with overweight.
Maybe take the sci-fi into "THX 1138" which was a movie starring Robert Duvall from way back in which people weren't forbidden to take drugs but rather the drugs were required by law. It's not too hard to conceive of a future in which AMPK pills are mandated because we sure don't want America to go back to that Old Obese way of life. No way good Americans want that, right?
We can sit about envisioning nightmare futures all day long but it doesn't mean any of them will ever happen. Nevertheless, it's conceivable that one could and for that reason. America's obesity is currently second in the world only to Mexico. There's an obvious problem to solve and it's one of the many which are largely ignored except for blaming people who fall victim.
(Ed: are you seriously calling all fat people 'victims?')
Yes but only to a point. If some chubby fucker got that way eating potato chips and jacking around with social networks, the problem isn't clinical but basic Lazy Ass Syndrome. Dismissing everyone into that category is not fair, tho, but usually that's how it goes.
Bringing it back to the top, understanding the metabolism is all very well but what will you do with it. Say someone does get lazy for a while, puts on too many pounds and finds it much harder to lose them than it was to gain them. Will you prescribe AMPK for a month? for life? What happens when this person stops taking the medication. Will he or she just get fat again so there's no alternative except a lifetime prescription.
Here at the Rockhouse we won't reject medicines out of hand but there's substantial concern about using them improperly and one example is using medications to control a non-clinical situation which may well turn a smaller problem into a long-term clinical problem.
You may disagree with my thoughts on things but agreement isn't a requirement. Disagreement may well reveal something I have not considered so disagreement would actually be preferred because, presto, now there's a discussion.
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