Category Archives: Diet And Food

TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Gluten-free diets have become a popular way to manage gluten sensitivity, but a new analysis suggests that many people who stop eating gluten may not need to do so.

Health experts have claimed that this special diet can ease digestive ills in those who are sensitive to gluten, a substance found in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. Some even think avoiding gluten might reduce headaches, fatigue, hyperactivity and autism symptoms.

However, when comparing the number of mentions of gluten sensitivity on Google to the number of scientific articles on the subject, Italian researchers found that the Google mentions far outweighed mentions in the medical literature, at a ratio of 4,598 to one.

"Clinically, we see a lot of suspicion that gluten reactions are responsible for numerous health problems, and it's difficult to counter this belief. There are a lot of alternative practitioners out there that blame gluten for everything, even though there's not a lot of science behind it," said Dr. Joseph Levy, division director of pediatric gastroenterology at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City.

In the article, published in the Feb. 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Italian researchers explain that gluten has become "the new diet villain" in the United States. American marketers claim that 15 percent to 25 percent of consumers want gluten-free foods, and popular estimates suggest that as many as 17 million Americans are gluten-sensitive. However, there's no official data on the prevalence of gluten sensitivity in people who don't have celiac disease, according to the study authors.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that damages the lining of the small intestine when gluten is eaten. This damage prevents the small intestine from absorbing the nutrients in food, and people with celiac disease slowly become malnourished. It's essential that anyone with celiac disease maintain a gluten-free diet; even occasional slips can cause damage.

Levy said there's no question that some people appear to have what the researchers dubbed nonceliac gluten sensitivity. "Some people, when you remove gluten, have less gas, belly aches and nausea," he said.

But, he added that it might not be the gluten that's the problem, and could instead be something else in foods containing gluten.

Another digestive expert, Dr. David Greenwald, isn't convinced yet. "It's very hard to tell if someone has nonceliac gluten sensitivity. I have a healthy skepticism until there's a scientific basis for the diagnosis. It's very easy to jump on the wave, but the authors here are saying to wait for the scientific evidence that there is a sensitivity that's not based on celiac disease," he explained. Greenwald is a gastroenterologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

Greenwald said that a lot of people who try gluten-free diets do so because they're having symptoms that suggest irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), such as abdominal pain, gas and bloating.

"Most of the people who come to the conclusion that they have nonceliac gluten sensitivity have IBS symptoms, and they've heard that a gluten-free diet might help them, and a number of them start feeling better when they eliminate gluten," said Greenwald. But, in clinical trials, people with IBS often have high placebo success rates, sometimes more than 30 percent, he said. So, for some, going on a gluten-free diet might induce a placebo effect.

Levy agreed. "Physiological changes can occur with positive thinking. If, for whatever reason, someone is convinced that removing gluten will help, and it does, that's fine," he said.

The good news is that a gluten-free diet is generally considered safe. It's helpful to work with a nutritionist to ensure you're getting all the necessary vitamins and nutrients if you decide to undertake a gluten-free diet. And, Levy advised reading ingredient lists on gluten-free products. Some are made with beans, which could cause gas and bloating if eaten in significant quantities.

The only significant downside to gluten-free diets is cost, since gluten-free foods are significantly more expensive than foods that contain gluten.

"If people are uncomfortable and want to put themselves on a gluten-free diet and they don't mind it, there's no real harm to that if they're willing to bear the inconvenience and cost," said Greenwald.

However, both experts cautioned that it's important that a doctor rules out celiac disease before anyone undertakes a gluten-free diet. Lowering the amount of gluten in your diet can change the results of the blood tests used to screen for celiac disease, and might mask the presence of celiac disease. With celiac disease, it's essential to avoid all gluten to avoid complications.

More information

Learn more about food allergies and intolerance from the American Gastroenterological Association.

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Is Avoiding Gluten in Foods Always Necessary?

Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) February 20, 2012

Internet marketing consultants LocallyRank LLC of Newport Beach, California have been signed to provide strategic marketing advice for Desert Labs Inc, the makers of the popular dieting product The Ice Cube Diet.

LocallyRank specializes in ecommerce marketing solutions for firms wishing to incorporate social media advertising and advanced SEO strategies.

"While an online presence is rightly recognized as essential in today's marketplace, it's the latest in ecommerce utilities and strategies that truly keep you competitive," says Kevin Heimlich, co-founder of LocallyRank. "We are proud to add Desert Labs to our rapidly expanding list of clients."

The Ice Cube Diet is a non-prescription diet supplement whose ingredients include extracts from the hoodia plant—a cactus like plant containing a natural appetite suppressant that has been safely used by desert dwellers in Africa's Kalahari region to manage appetite control in a locale with sparse and erratic food supplies. Marketed by Desert Labs Inc., the product is shipped nationwide in packets that allow it to be conveniently used as ice cubes in health drinks.

Desert Labs is an integrated consumer product company developing, manufacturing and marketing food supplements and dietary aids. Desert Labs' agro technical profile spans medicinal plant research, plant tissue culture propagation, clinical testing, modern processing, packaging and marketing of consumer products.

The company’s flagship product, The Ice Cube Diet, is based on hoodia grown in Israel and frozen in a process unique to Desert Labs; it represents the first of the company’s “field to market” products now available in the U.S.A.

Consumers are able to buy hoodia shipped specially to preserve its freshness, in packages of 40, 60, and 80 cubes. Many NYC health food stores and select NJ ShopRite stores carry The Ice Cube Diet and orders can be placed online at http://www.IceCubeDiet.com.

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LocallyRank To Handle Internet Marketing For Desert Labs

Put down your diet soda and listen up. Drinking a bubbly zero-calorie beverage daily may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke by 44 percent, according to new research of 2,600 older adults over a 10-year span.

For decades, manufacturers marketed diet colas as a healthier diet-conscious alternative to regular sodas that contain large amounts of sugars linked to health risks such as obesity and diabetes.

Subsequent research tied diet sodas, which replace sugar with exotic sweeteners such as aspartame or stevia, with increase risks for heart disease.

"What we saw was an association," Hannah Gardener, lead researcher with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, told Reuters. "These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits."

Those who drank diet soda daily tended to be heavier and had existing heart risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels, Reuters reported.

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Since the Journal of General Internal Medicine published the study online Jan. 27, the study has become increasingly popular online. Researchers at Columbia University in New York City also contributed to the study.

The researchers looked into the diet soda drinking habits of 2,564 residents of northern Manhattan over a 10-year period and found that those who drank diet soda daily had increased risks for vascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.

The researchers controlled the volunteers for several factors such as smoking, physical activity, body mass index, diet and alcohol consumption.

No risk was found for people who drank regular soft drinks or drank diet sodas from time to time. The correlation was only found with daily diet soda drinkers.

The only way researchers said to find a cause-and-effect would be to randomly assign people to drink diet soda or not and then follow their health over the years.

Gardner said such as study would be "difficult and costly" to undertake since it would involve following so many volunteers.</

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Diet Soda and Heart Attacks: Study Finds Daily Diet Soda Increases Risk

Most folks love food and want to be healthy. Oftentimes, the two work against each other, leaving us discouraged and out of shape.

The Eat-Clean Diet uses one of our favorite things, food, and shows us how to make it work for us to help lose weight and achieve overall health, leading to a happier lifestyle with more energy and productivity.

Tosca Reno, the author of the popular “Eat-Clean Diet” series, has drawn attention to clean eating, but she did not invent it. The Eat-Clean Diet’s principles are based on the diet that bodybuilders, gymnasts, marathon runners and other athletes have followed for years, and that nutritionists and dieticians suggested to patients to help with health problems long before Reno released her first book.

Despite its name, the Eat-Clean Diet is not a diet at all, but a lifestyle change that takes weight off and keeps it off, unlike diets that require calorie-counting and depriving the body of certain food groups.

“I’ve done Weight Watchers in the past, but I always found myself obsessed with points,” said Nikki Banik, a wife and mother of two from Winder and the owner of Nikki Banik Photography. “(I would look for) processed food with the least amount of points so I could eat as much as possible — and never getting enough, or caring to get enough — of the good-for-you, healthy stuff.”

The Eat-Clean Diet shows people how to replace unhealthy foods that have little or no nutritional value with healthy foods full of nutrients that the body needs. It does not require counting calories and actually suggests eating more — five to six small meals throughout the day — to keep from getting too hungry, to provide extra energy and to keep the body’s metabolism running.

“A lot of people are trying to go extended periods of time without eating, and really we need to eat on a regular basis and be sensitive to our hunger cues,” said Connie Crawley, an extension nutrition and health specialist with the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences and a registered dietitian. “If you are ravenous, you’re going to crave high-sugar, high-fat foods, which are going to make you eat more.”

In her books, Reno breaks down each of the Eat-Clean Diet principles, including eating several small meals, drinking lots of water and consuming healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Simple sugars or white refined sugars are taboo, because they have been linked to immune suppression, inflammatory conditions and dramatic spikes in blood sugar, according to “The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged!”

“Basically, what (the Eat-Clean Diet is) recommending is for people to go back as closely to what I call the hoof and the plant as possible,” Crawley said. “In other words, trying to get as little between you and the original source of the food as possible, and that certainly is a very admirable thing to do, and it’s what we at the extension office are recommending that people do.”

Banik looked into clean eating after hearing about people who eliminated almost all white foods from their diet. She thought it couldn’t hurt to eliminate white bread and replace it with whole grain bread and eliminate white pasta and white refined sugar. Soon after that, she began following all of the diet’s principles.

“It wasn’t so much that I wanted to try a ‘diet.’ Rather, I wanted to create a better lifestyle for my family and myself where we would be in tune with our bodies and our food,” Banik said.

Banik and her family will have followed the Eat-Clean Diet principles for one year this March.

“For me, I dove in head first,” Banik said. “I emptied out our kitchen cabinets and refrigerator, donated the food and restocked it. That was expensive, but worth it. I’ve lost 25 pounds eating clean, and my husband has lost about 30 pounds. Also, my husband’s blood pressure is normal, and he is off of blood pressure medication. This did not happen when we did Weight Watchers but after we had been eating clean for a few weeks.”

Another change was the behavior and attitude of Banik’s 5-year-old daughter.

“My 5-year-old’s behavior completely turned around,” Banik said. “I feel like she is finally herself. The excessive whining, moaning and groaning is gone. It is amazing how negatively processed food affects our children.”

When people begin the Eat-Clean Diet, they typically lose 3 to 5 pounds in the first week, but the diet isn’t just about becoming leaner.

“Eating clean is just eliminating things that your body does not need,” Banik said. “It is not a diet. It is a cleaning of your system, and once you eat clean, truly 100 percent clean, you will really not want to eat any other way. We always eat clean at home. When we go out to eat or to someone’s house, (it’s harder to) eat clean. So we try not to eat out as much.”

Proponents say eating clean can lower one’s risk of heart disease, stroke and chronic lower respiratory diseases, and even give a person more energy, brighter eyes, healthier teeth, bright and clear skin and stronger hair and nails.

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The Eat-Clean Diet

Diet books have long promised better health, smaller waists and lifetime sex appeal. But this year’s crop doesn’t just hope to help your weight-loss efforts. Most come with a secondary promise: brain health, balanced hormones, lower blood sugar, pain elimination.

Here’s a sample of what’s new:

The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook, by Colette Heimowitz (Touchstone; $19.99): The diet that shouts “Lose up to 15 pounds in 2 weeks!” now has a cookbook of 200 low-carb recipes you can make in 30 minutes or less. It hardly sounds like a diet if you get to eat Lime-Chili Grilled Wings or skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. Even its No-Bake Cheesecake doesn’t sound half bad.

Master Your Metabolism, by Jillian Michaels (Three Rivers Press; $15): The book by The Biggest Loser’s meanest trainer ever is now out in paperback. Michaels reaches out to yo-yo dieters with a plan that promises to tap into fat-burning hormones. She urges readers to dump “anti-nutrients” such as hydrogenated fats, refined grains, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners in favor of lean meats, whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Doctors: 5-Minute Health Fixes, by The Doctors, with Mariska van Aalst (Rodale; $17.99): The physicians known for their popular TV show offer quick advice — now in paperback — on a variety of health topics, including weight. Diet advice boils down to five tips: Cook your own food at home; get help if you’re an emotional eater; walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week; eat carbs, protein and fat at every meal; watch portion size.

The Women’s Health Diet, by Stephen Perrine, with Leah Flickinger and the editors of Women’s Health (Rodale; $25.99): If you can remake your body in “just 27 days” as the book cover promises, maybe your body wasn’t in such bad shape after all. Still, if you focus on healthy foods, get rid of sugary drinks and exercise as the book advocates, you’re likely to lose fat and build muscle — and that’s what we’re all after, right? Its authors spend a fair amount of space going over the “Secrets of the Slim” — eating fresh produce, never skipping breakfast, learning to love salad. It provides plenty of resources to help you navigate supermarket aisles and restaurant menus.

The Men’s Health Diet, by Stephen Perrine, with Adam Bornstein, Heather Hurlock and the editors of Men’s Health: This version for men is much like its women’s counterpart, save for language that’s more likely to appeal to guys. For example, “Secrets of the Slim” becomes “Rules of the Ripped.” Its list of best foods for men are much like those of women, but organized differently and geared to men’s tastes.

The Diet Detective’s All-American Diet, by Charles Platkin (Rodale; $25.99): The book’s cover refers to Platkin as a Dr., but he’s a Ph.D., not an M.D. This public-health advocate has put forth a book that would only appeal to people who don’t want to cook and have no interest in learning how. It focuses on exercise in one short chapter, then lays out a plan for building meals out of convenience foods such as Pop-Tarts (no kidding), instant oatmeal, Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits and Stouffer’s lasagna. Not to completely diss the plan; it includes hundreds of convenience foods, including some that are lower in sodium, fat and-or sugar and will surely help you control how much you eat.

Six Weeks to Skinny Jeans, by Amy Cotta (Rodale, $24.99): The author’s picture-perfect derriere on the cover will surely catch the attention of any woman who’s looked backward at a three-way mirror and shuddered. Cotta, a Nashville-area fitness trainer, provides before and after photos of her clients — real women with lives, jobs, children and imperfect bodies — who lost a jeans size or two in six weeks. Her plan will have you watching your carbs, relying on low-glycemic foods, working out and keeping a diet-exercise log.

The Houston Chronicle

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Find a new diet book to keep your goals on track

MURRAY, Utah, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Bioscience announced today it has been named the #1 top-selling maker of all-natural diet formulas in the 2011 SPINS Topline report, skyrocketing to a 31 percent market share in the company's first-ever appearance on the report. In addition to ranking Number One in sales overall, Creative Bioscience's hCG 1234™ is the top selling product in the category for 2011, surpassing well-known brands like Irwin Naturals and Nature's Way to take the top spot.

As the only comprehensive source of scanner-based sales data for the natural products supermarket channel, the SPINS Topline report tracks product sales and growth rates by brand in a variety of categories in the natural products industry, including diet supplements.

"It's been our goal from the beginning to become the world's leading supplier of natural, effective diet and weight loss supplements, and we are thrilled to see that it looks like we're well on our way," said Ike Blackmon, Executive Director at Creative Bioscience. "The fact that we've outsold brands with a 15 year history in the business is quite a testament to the immediate and remarkable results our customers have seen."

Creative Bioscience's newly reformulated hCG1234™ offers dieters a powerful, effective, amino-based blend clinically supported to enhance diet results. This proprietary combination of amino acids and herbal extracts works to block fat, boost fat metabolism and provide essential nutrition when used in conjunction with Dr. Simeons' Protocol of allowed foods in proper portions—an effective weight loss program backed by a 50-year history of helping people lose weight and improve their overall health. Designed for dynamic, rapid weight loss, Creative Bioscience's premium American-made hCG1234™ has helped many dieters lose an average of 1-2 pounds per day, without the need for vigorous exercise and with more calorie and food choices than other products provide.

Blackmon says the results of the SPINS report not only prove that Creative Bioscience's advanced formulations help customers achieve their weight loss goals with safe, natural products, but also that the company itself is changing the way the diet industry works by bringing a refreshing new level of transparency and personalized customer attention into the equation.

"We have long believed that the diet industry as a whole needed a wake-up call. For too long, most companies have gotten away with hiding behind ambiguous claims and giving customers virtually no way to contact the company with questions, or if they need assistance with their diet program," Blackmon said. "Smart dieters today demand better service and more accountability. We're one of the only supplement makers to offer that personal touch by providing free, 24/7 access to our trained diet support specialists who can help you overcome plateaus, provide encouragement or offer sound, realistic advice."

In addition to the popular hCG 1234™, Creative Bioscience offers a wide range of products, including many that feature the Dr. Oz recommended Raspberry Ketones. The diet giant's supplement portfolio includes tailored solutions to meet different weight loss styles: hCG Zero Liquid™, Diet Revive™, hCG Energy™, hCG Cleanse™, eAC 1234™ for energy and appetite control and rCC 1234™ for rapid colon cleanse each fill a specific dieting need. Its line of African Mango products— which Dr. Oz called a "miracle in your medicine cabinet that can help you lose 10 pounds"—include African Mango Lean™, African Mango 1200™ and African Mango Cleanse™ to enhance weight loss by naturally increasing metabolism and suppressing appetite. All Creative Bioscience products are manufactured in FDA-inspected and GMP-approved labs in the United States.

For more information about Creative Bioscience's complete line of natural, herbal diet supplements and to find other store locations, visit http://www.creativebioscience.com.&nbsp;

Product statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

About Creative Bioscience:? Creative Bioscience is a dynamic weight loss supplement company dedicated to innovation, research, and professional support. The company uses key botanicals and natural ingredients in its line of herbal supplements for diet support, and its products are manufactured in FDA inspected and GMP approved facilities using precise, technologically advanced equipment. It produces several proprietary, all-natural diet support supplements, including Raspberry Ketones and the plant Irvingia gabonensis, commonly known as African Mango. Creative Bioscience's complete line of diet aids offers tailored weight-loss solutions designed to meet the needs of anyone who is ready to lose weight, including those looking to cleanse their system of toxins.??Creative Bioscience offers 24/7 personalized diet support by trained specialists for customers, offering guidance on safe weight loss and tips on healthy living. For more information, visit http://www.creativebioscience.com.

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Creative Bioscience Named Top-Selling Natural Diet Formula Company by SPINS Topline Report

A new study has found that drinking diet soda every day is linked to higher rates of heart attack and stroke.

According to researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, older adults who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, compared with 22 percent of people who rarely or never drank diet soda but still had a heart attack or stroke.

But before any panic sets in, I want to add that the researchers clarified the study did not prove that diet soda alone was to blame.

Rather, it appears that people who drink diet soda every day are more likely to engage in other unhealthy habits – meaning the soda alone may not be the cause of heart attacks or strokes.

Among these other factors, the researchers said daily diet-soda drinkers tended to be heavier and more often had heart risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels.

In other words – while I would never recommend drinking diet soda daily as a good idea – if you’re counting calories, don’t be afraid to reach for diet instead of regular soda.  It’s highly unlikely you’ll suffer any heart problems as a result.

Send me your health questions on Facebook and Twitter.  And remember to join me for my weekly health live chat every Wednesday from 2-3 pm ET.

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No need to panic over diet soda heart risks

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Snapple today officially launches Diet Half ‘n Half Lemonade Iced Tea, joining the ranks of such great combinations as the spork, labradoodle and the keyboard guitar. The half lemonade, half iced tea blend is made from healthy green tea, tasty black tea and has only ten calories per 16oz bottle. While some may argue that one half may be better than the other, Snapple has brought the two together to create a low calorie option of this perfect combination.

“Some combinations are too perfect to pass up,” said Regan Ebert, vice president of marketing for Snapple. “Snapple is always looking to make the Best Stuff even better and the new Diet Half ‘n Half offers our fans a tasty low calorie combination of two classic flavors that is sure to please, whichever side you’re rooting for.”

To settle the score between Lemonade and Iced Tea lovers everywhere, Snapple is challenging fans to battle it out and vote for which side reigns supreme as the blend’s better half. Fans can vote for their favorite flavor on Twitter by using the #Lemonade@Snapple and #Tea@Snapple hashtags, as seen in the new drink’s advertising spot; via Snapple’s Facebook page; and on Snapple.com.

By participating, fans can enter for a chance to win daily Snapple prizes. A few lucky winners will also receive $1,000 prizes, half for them to keep and half for their charity of choice. For additional details, go to Snapple.com. Fans can also visit Snapple on Facebook for one of the 250,000 coupons for $1.00 off of a Snapple 6-pack that the brand will give away in celebration of the new beverage.

Snapple Diet Half ‘n Half is now available at participating retailers nationwide in individual 16-ounce bottles for $1.39 and 6-packs for $5.99. It is also available in 32oz, 64oz and 16oz 12-Packs. For full details and a list of participating retailers, visit http://www.Snapple.com.

About Snapple

Snapple, a brand of Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS - News), is a leader in great-tasting premium beverages. Founded in 1972 by three childhood friends, Snapple got its start in Greenwich Village, New York, and is now available throughout the United States and numerous countries worldwide. Snapple prides itself on developing, producing and marketing a wide variety of premium beverages, including ready-to-drink iced teas, juice drinks, 100% juices and water. Known for its down-to-earth approach to marketing, Snapple continues to delight fans across the world. DPS is a leading producer of flavored soft drinks, marketing Snapple and 50-plus other brands across North America and the Caribbean. For more information on Snapple, visit http://www.snapple.com or http://www.drpeppersnapple.com.

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Snapple Officially Launches Diet Half ‘n Half Lemonade Iced Tea

Diet drugs have failed to impress government health regulators in recent years with several prospective medications being denied approval and another drug taken off the market. Hopes for the first new diet pill in about 13 years now rest with a meeting Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to discuss Qnexa.

An advisory committee reporting to the Food and Drug Administration will, for the second time, hear evidence for or against the approval of Qnexa, which is a combination of two existing drugs -- the anticonvulsant topirimate and the diet drug phentermine -- that promote weight loss. The medication, made by the Mountain View, Calif.-based Vivus, first came before the FDA advisory committee in July 2010, which voted to deny approval. The FDA subsequently denied approval in October 2010, citing potential safety problems.

However, FDA officials left the door open for Qnexa, asking Vivus to provide additional data on whether the medication can cause birth defects and what the risk of birth defects might be. The agency has also requested data on whether the slight increase in heart rate that is linked to the drug increases the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.

There are fewer questions about Qnexa's ability to promote weight loss. A two-year study of 4,323 people showed an average weight loss of at least 10% of total body weight and  improvements in blood pressure.

Vivus officials have maintained a positive front about the drug's eventual approval. But documents filed in advance of Wednesday's meeting suggest some hard questions await Vivus officials. The FDA remains concerned with a potential increased risk of cleft palate in babies born to women who become pregnant while taking the medication. A key issue is whether Vivus can persuade the FDA that the drug will not be prescribed haphazardly to women who could become pregnant. Questions also remain regarding potential heart risks for adults taking the drug.

More is at stake than just Qnexa. The FDA has rejected applications for two other diet medications in the past two years (both of those drugs will also be resubmitted with additional follow-up data), and health professionals who work in the obesity field are growing impatient with the FDA's demands.

The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition and other medical organizations have been working with the agency for several years to discuss expanding treatment options for patients with obesity. Some obesity experts have said they feel the FDA is holding weight-loss drugs to a higher standard compared with medications that treat other conditions.

But obesity has severe health ramifications, noted James Zervios, a spokesman for the Obesity Action Coalition.

"There just aren't a lot of tools in the tool box when you're treating obesity," Zervios said. "We need other options for people."

While diet and exercise is useful for people who require only a small weight loss, and surgery is available for people with severe obesity, there are fewer options for the "in between" overweight individual, Zervios said. Qnexa targets people with a body mass index of 30 or above or a BMI of 27 or above for people who also have weight-related health problems, such as diabetes or sleep apnea. A BMI of 25 to 29 indicates overweight and 30 or greater is considered obese.

FDA officials are sympathetic to the need, Zervios said. But the potential for Qnexa to cause birth defects appears to be of great concern to the agency.

"The fear is that this drug will be used by all," he said. "Our stance is there needs to be strict guidelines in place so the right individuals are gaining access to it. It's not for people who want to lose five or 10 pounds."

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Diet drug Qnexa will get a second look

Diet soda may benefit the waistline, but people who drink it every day may have a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new U.S. study.

Although the researchers, whose work appeared in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that older adults who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack, their research did not prove that the sugar-free drinks alone were to blame.

"What we saw was an association. These people tend to have more unhealthy habits."

- Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

There may be other things about diet-soda lovers that explain the connection, said lead researcher Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and her team.

"What we saw was an association. These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits," she said.

She and her colleagues tried to account for that, noting that daily diet-soda drinkers did tend to be heavier and more often have heart risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Gardener and her team studied 2,564 New York City adults who were 69 years or older at the study's start. Over the next decade, 591 men and women had a heart attack, stroke or died of cardiovascular causes -- including 31 percent of the 163 people who drank a diet soda daily at the start of the study.

Overall, daily consumption of diet soda was linked to a 44-percent higher chance of heart attack or stroke, compared with 22 percent for people who rarely or never drank diet soda but had a heart attack or stroke.

Gardener said that if diet soda itself contributes to health risks, it's not clear how.

Some research in rats suggests that artificial sweeteners can end up boosting food intake and weight, but whether these results translate to humans is unknown.

"I don't think people should change their behavior based on this study," Gardener said, noting that further study is needed to confirm a connection between diet soda and cardiovascular trouble.

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Daily diet soda may increase risk of heart attack, stroke