Are you better off taking an FDA-approved weight loss drug when you need to lose weight, or taking an ordinary nutritional supplement? That is a question that has been around for quite some time, and it seems to never go away.

Diet drugs are relatively new to the U.S. in terms of FDA approval. In fact, Alli was the first, and it just came out this year. What isn't said regularly in the mainstream media is that there are natural products that are also effective regarding weight loss. One of them, ephedra, is still taken by millions every day, but was banned in the U.S. I wonder venture as to why -- you can do that.

But, would you rather trust a pharmaceutical drug or a natural product to help you with your weight loss? Researching the details behind each one and coming to an informed decision (imagine that) is the wisest course of action. What will you do when you're presented with the decision to lose weight?

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Say what you will about George W. Bush, but the man takes care of himself -- If there is something we can all agree to about, it is his excellent physical shape.

And because we are nearing the end of Men's Health Week, I thought our 40-plus male audience might be interested in taking example from the 'head honcho'. If you are looking for a regiment of nutritional supplements, he's your man. Some of you (and you know who you are) have cabinets full of supplements when really you could narrow that down a bit. Taking 15 nutritional pills a day is a bit much -- don't you think? Or maybe you're not taking any at all -- let's see what we can do about that.

President Bush turned 60 years old last October and his health is in the "superior" fitness category for men his age -- greater than the 99% percentile!

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Do you take nutritional supplements every day? Many of us do, and it's estimated that the number of regular nutritional supplement takers has steadily been increasing.

In many cases, it's almost no guess at all why so many people take nutritional supplements every day. The nutrition gained from a routine, modern western diet is so awful these days that more nutrition has to come from somewhere. Enter the easy-to-use supplement.

Less reliance on a good nutritional supplement can be had by eating nutritionally-dense foods each and every day. It takes more time to do this, but it's only your health at stake, right?

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The new age of "age management" is upon us as some of us try to chase the fountain of eternal youth and vitality these days. It's nothing new -- trying to slow the inevitable decline of your mental and physical being has been the staple of cultures forever probably.

Is a strict regimen of nutritional supplements and extremely healthy eating the way to go about it? While there is debate on the long-term effects of many supplements, eating healthy is a great way to feel great and make sure your body has the tools it needs for today and beyond. If that beyond includes a much lnger lifespan, so be it.

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Are doctors wined-n-dined by pharmaceutical sales reps these days? Of course -- sales representatives have sales quotas to meet just like car salesmen, and the most tuned-in audience are doctors and those that have the control to prescribe medications.

With all the knowledge medical doctors must have before becoming licensed, the specific interactions of pharmaceutical drugs and the science (and non-science sometimes) behind each and every drug that is prescribed to a patient is probably not the top priority. The top priority is fixing problems with the metaphorical band-aid instead of fixing the root cause in my opinion.

Why not? Revenues soar, people are "patched" and everyone is happy. But now, medical schools in several states are popularizing more programs that teach doctors and medical students to challenge the sales pitches of drug companies and their sales representatives -- and to avoid being dazzled by the circus. In total, the pharmaceutical industry spends billions of dollars a year on marketing to directly to doctors with legions of sales forces -- sometimes throwing lavish events to close the sale on certain high-profit drugs.

As I've thought for years and years, this sounds like a huge conflict of interest to me. Are patient's needs the top concern or are lavish drug-company-sponsored parties and the sale of prescription drugs at all costs?

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It's always been a surprise to me to see such a huge price disparity between many popular vitamins and minerals. From bottom-level grocery stores to high-end nutritional supplement stores, the prices for vitamins like Vitamin C and Folic Acid are all over the map. Naturally, the quality and efficacy of vitamins is all over the map as well.

But Jane Clarke, Britain's leading nutritionist (not sure how that title was determined), says vitamins and supplements are a waste of money for most of us, which strikes at the very heart of even the high-end nutritional supplement industry -- with many manufacturers having clinical evidence and double-blind studies that show many vitamins and minerals -- when combined in a synergistic fashion in the correct proportions are are of high quality -- are very good for many of us.

So -- who to believe? Mounds of medical evidence or Britain's leading nutritionist? After reading some of Clarke's suggestions, I disagree with many of them from the onset -- like the supposition that milk is a good source of calcium.

Calcium is much better delivered into a human's digestive system outside of cow's milk, which has many negative nutritional aspects from research I've done -- and I don't drink cow's milk at all myself. Clarke does make some good points, but without detailed medical backup sources and studies, I'm not sure how much stock I would put into her recommendations.

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