NUTS To The FDA

[wrestlingguy]

Someone linked me to an article earlier today, which I took the time to read, since the NY Jets were playing one of their losing weeks (which may become a completely new blog). Essentially the story is that the FDA has now qualified Diamond Walnuts as “drugs” due to the health claims made by the company on its labels and in its advertising (you can read the full story here).

The short version however, is that the FDA says that you can’t make claims without backing it up with science. Now, I’m not a big fan of walnuts myself, but I’m pretty sure that I don’t need to have a thesis attached to a bag of nuts to know that its food that’s good for you. My mom (rest her soul) used to say to me growing up “If food can go bad, it’s good for you, but if food CAN’T go bad, it’s bad for you”. I’m pretty sure she was talking about fast food products back then, but the same thing can be applied not only to McNuggets, but McGMOs as well.

Anyway, this got me to thinking about how the FDA approves diet drugs and WLS procedures with a rubber stamp. All one has to do is look at some of the claims made by the various bariatric centers that have sprung up all over the US to know that making money off of fat people is big business. Yet, the FDA isn’t shutting down any of those places, or chasing those doctors for the claims that they make. Along with that, look at the claims made by the weight loss drug manufacturers. They tout that weight loss is a panacea, and that their drugs can get you to the Promised Land, yet they never mention the dreaded “side effects”. As I always say, don’t believe me, here’s a list of side effects of one of the recent FDA approvals, an anti obesity drug called Qsymia (aka Phentermine Topirimate, which sounds like Phen Phen V 2.0):

Common side effects include tingling of hands and feet, dizziness, taste alterations (particularly with carbonated beverages), trouble sleeping, constipation, and dry mouth. Serious but rare side effects include allergic reactions (such as rash, hives, difficulty breathing), thoughts of suicide, memory problems, mood problems (such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks), and changes to your vision. Rare side effects associated with topiramate include kidney stones and acute glaucoma. Qsymia must not be used during pregnancy because it may cause harm to the baby. People with an overactive thyroid gland, glaucoma, or who have recently taken certain antidepressant drugs known as MAOIs should not use Qsymia, although the drug was studied in patients taking SSRI and other antidepressants without adverse events.

The amazing thing is that fat people will rush to this drug and take the risks, rather than have to deal with all of the fat bigotry and shaming that happens in their lives on a daily basis. And they can thank the Funky Drug Approval group for these new wonders of science.

I can write pages about the wrongness of the FDA as we know it, but I’d rather leave you with a comment that someone wiser than I am left on the FDA vs. Diamond Walnuts article:

The willow is a tree. It’s bark can be processed into a drug called aspirin, but until then, it’s a f’ing tree. The Poppy is a flower. The bulbs can be processed into a drug called morphine, but until then, it’s a f’ing flower. Until a walnut is processed into something, it’s a f’ing nut, but not as big as the f’ing nuts at the FDA who don’t seem to understand what the word drug means.

I think I’m going to start eating more walnuts.

 

[cheesylier]

 

[CleverBomb]

 

[wrestlingguy]

 

[bigmac]

 

[HereticFA]

 

[wrestlingguy]

 

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[HereticFA]