The F.D.A. has just given its approval to a company called Gelesis to sell a new prescription device called Plenity. This product, though sold in pill form, is not approved for sale as a weight loss drug. Its use is not proven to result in weight loss as is the case with Phentermine, Adipex, Phendimetrazine and other prescription diet drugs.
Instead, Plenity has taken an entirely new angle. This prescription device has been approved for adult patients with a body mass index of 25.0 or higher. As such, it is meant for people who are overweight or obese. This also makes it different from prescription diet drugs, which are exclusively for obesity patients whose excess weight has placed them at risk of other health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. Patients prescribed Plenity do not need such additional risks in order to use it.
Plenity as a Weight Management Device
This product may come in the shape of a pill, but it is not a drug as it works differently. Due to its function, it is considered a device. It does not work by affecting the signals to the brain. In this way, it doesn’t alter the way that the stomach and brain communicate and doesn’t trick the mind into thinking it is fuller than it actually is. It does not boost energy levels and won’t stop the absorption of fat.
Instead, this product is swallowed as a capsule. The capsules contain cellulose and citric acid. They are swallowed with water, which is absorbed by the capsule contents. Once the water is absorbed, the result is a kind of hydrogel which mimics the consistency of chewed food. This substance will swell enough to fill about one quarter of the stomach. That said, it won’t be absorbed and therefore does not contain any calories.
Appetite suppression
Because the stomach is one quarter full from Plenity, even after eating a smaller meal, the user can be satisfied and feel “full” from much smaller meals. This makes it easier to eat less and, assuming the user makes the right food choices, he or she can consume fewer calories. When fewer calories are consumed, it becomes easier to keep up a fat burning diet.
The gel makes its way through the digestive system without being digested. As it makes its way along, it shrinks back to its original size, making it easier to pass. The idea is to make it possible for dieters who are dedicated to consuming fewer calories to do so successfully without feeling hungry for as long as they continue to use Plenity. It is a temporary solution to getting weight under control.