WEIGHT AND BALANCE - DIET PILLS AND FLYING

ONE IN THREE, or 58 million American adults, aged 20 through 74 are es timated to be overweight; an increase from 25 to 33% between 1980 and 1991. The number of obese Pilots, per se, is not known; however, the r ecent glut of diet pills on the market, both prescribed and over-the-c ounter, should be taken into account by the Aviation Medical Examiner, Left untreated, obesity increases a pilot's susceptibility to decompr ession sickness, decreases mobility within the cockpit, and increases the risk of sudden incapacitating events. Obesity is a known risk fact or for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder disea se, arthritis, breathing problems, and some forms of cancer. This arti cle does not necessarily promote diet pills for the obese, but rather, focuses on the side-effects of diet pills on pilots. The best results for weight loss have been obtained under medically-supervised program s and with longterm programs that emphasize exercise. The medical bene fit of abrupt weight loss from using pulsed diet pills, lasting weeks or months, is negligible.