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Toronto Fitness Professional Challenges Medical Community Over Prescription Drug Abuse Exercise And Better Nutrition Rival Effectiveness of Anti-DepressantsToronto, ON- Prescription medications are the fastest growing medical expenditure in Canadian households. A major contributor is the growing use of antidepressants. But in today’s society, with our quick-fix mentality, are we missing the bigger picture? “There is evidence to suggest that a regular routine of exercise may be as effective at treating mild to moderate depressive symptoms as some of the most popular antidepressant medications available today,” explains Conor Kelly, owner of Evolution Fitness. “Not to mention the benefit to overall health is obviously greater.”
Kelly charges the medical community with over-prescribing “lifestyle” or antidepressant medications, where he believes they should be prescribing more exercise and improved nutrition. “I think giving someone a pill represents the ‘easy route’, when compared with prescribing major lifestyle changes, but it’s detrimental to long-term health,” he says. “In fact, some drugs used to treat depression and certain mood disorders can cause weight gain, and a whole host of other side-effects.”
But just how effective are these medications really? A recent study published by the American Psychological Association suggested that antidepressants worked only marginally better than placebos. According to the lead researcher, Dr. Irving Kirsch, “We are not saying that people don't respond to these medications…the catch is that the response to placebo is almost as large." He concludes, “People may be better off exploring other treatment options such as psychotherapy or exercise, which has been shown to reduce depression. And the side effect of physical exercise is better health. That is much better than the loss of sexual function, tremors, agitation, diarrhea, and nausea that are side effects of [these medications]."
Despite the evidence that they are not the “godsends” they are made out to be, the use of such medications is widespread and continues to grow. “Unfortunately, because the pharmaceutical companies are aggresively marketing to consumers, doctors feel more inclined to prescribe their products,” Kelly explains. In a recent article for the Canadian Medical Association Journal,Dr. Joel Lexchin, an associate professor with the University of Toronto commented, “It appears that, when drug therapy is available, physicians are less willing to consider nondrug treatments, even when there is no evidence that pharmacotherapy is superior.”
Kelly wants this kind of thinking to change. “I’ve been conducting my own research,” he says, “throughout my long career I’ve helped hundreds of people achieve significant health and fitness results. They are like my case studies. And my clients are proof that when you improve your fitness, not only do you look better and have more energy, but you gain a sense of well-being and greater self-worth which just generally means you’re a much happier person. In fact, I defy any prescription-happy doctor to compete with the mood-transforming results I achieve with my clients.”
For more information on the hollistic or synergistic approach to weight loss employed by the personal fitness coaches at Evolution Fitness, readers can visit www.transformforever.com. ### Note To Editor: Conor Kelly is available for candid and informative interviews on health and fitness. He can be reached directly at (416) 220-7883.
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