Here’s the latest craziness -- drugs used to treat hyperactive children, such as Ritalin, are being recommended as a means to help solve the obesity crisis.
Dr. Lance Levy of Toronto studied severely obese patients who had failed to lose weight in 10 years. Some were prescribed anti-hyperactivity drugs including Adderall, a type of amphetamine, and a Ritalin-style pill called Concerta. After a year of treatment, those given the drugs had lost an average of 12 percent of their total body weight.
Dr. Levy claimed it was because many obese people have undiagnosed ADHD. I suspect the fact that one of the drugs given was an amphetamine may have more to do with it. This is pure insanity that in no way, shape, or form deals with the root causes of obesity. It’s true that if you take amphetamines, you might end up slimmer -- but you certainly won’t end up healthier.