The idea of user fees infuriates Congress and unites consumer and industry groups in opposition. Basic food inspection should be paid for like the cop on the beat. At least 45 companies around the world are, according to this story, trying to develop obesity drugs, seeking magic bullets that could help people control their weight. Among some scientists, however, this new line of research raises serious concerns. There's no question that the incidence of obesity is steadily increasing, and the social costs are staggering.
Obese people run a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and many other health problems.
The direct medical costs of obesity-linked diseases represent nearly 6 percent of the country's entire budget for health care. At the same time, history is replete with examples of obesity drugs being misused. The drugs can pose risks that may not become clear until they have been taken for years by hundreds of thousands of people. In the 1960s, many people took amphetamines to lose weight, with some becoming addicted to the powerful stimulants. In the 1990s, doctors combined two weight-loss drugs, fenfluramine and phentermine, that hadn't been approved for use together.