Ritalin is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system and affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that can contribute to impulse control and hyperactivity.  In addition to being used to treat ADD, Ritalin is sometimes prescribed for those who suffer from narcolepsy.

Ritalin is a powerful drug that is already being misused by those for whom the drug is not prescribed.  Not only are people taking this stimulant in pill form, they are crushing it so that it can be snorted like cocaine and/or injected like heroin.  Patients taking Ritalin at the prescribed dosages don appear to become addicted, but because of the drug’s stimulant properties this drug becomes addictive when over-used and when used by people from whom it isn’t prescribed.

So here we have this group of researchers from the University of Ottawa who gave 14 adult volunteers a single dose of Ritalin before lunch and found that these guinea pigs reduced their caloric intake by 11 percent and fat intake by 17 percent.  In the press coverage of this study, there is no mention of whether or not these people were over-weight or fit, healthy or infirm.

Getting word out on the street that Ritalin can possible reduce appetite as a result of this super-preliminary - and flawed - study is one of the more irresponsible things that a research team could do, regardless of the fact that the author of the study said that people shouldn’t ask their doctors for a Ritalin weight-loss prescription.  Given human nature’s capacity to self-medicate and self-diagnose, and the powerful affect this drug has on people who are not using it for ADD, spreading this word about Ritalin at this time is pure folly. 

The potential for abuse of this drug is immense and the ramifications potentially catastrophic especially when you consider the drug probably isn’t suitable for people with the following; a congenital heart defect, high blood pressure, heart failure, heart rhythm disorder, or recent heart attack; a personal or family history of mental illness, psychotic disorder, bipolar illness, depression, or suicide attempt; epilepsy or other seizure disorder; or a history of drug or alcohol addiction.  Given that the drug is readily available – both through legit channels and on the black market – there’s no reason to believe that people will wait until real studies are done to see what Ritalin really can do.  There are Internet sites that will sell Ritalin to people who do not have valid prescriptions, but will provide a script for a fee.  I’d wager that there are people already looking to score some “R” right now via this route so that they can start losing a few pounds.

The problem with this preliminary study is that there is no indication as to the condition of the subjects and there isn’t a mention of a control group.  If the researchers had included a control group that was given a placebo this study would be a bit more powerful.

But given the way our culture has progressed, it really isn’t a surprise that people expect - or want - a pill to do for them something that they should be in control of themselves.  The fact that researchers are looking for drugs to get people to stop eating too much is a reflection that we are in a time where disordered, externally regulated eating is out of control.  People are constanly looking outward for ways to “fix” and unhealthy lifestyle rather than relying on their own internal cues to find their way.  The constant cycle of dieting, failure, dieting, failure has produced an entire class of people who have lost the abilty to regulate their eating and have lost touch with their bodies.  People have forgotten how to eat.  Which really is like forgetting how to breath.

If this is the direction that the public and researchers continue to take, the problems of disordered eating, dieting and the host of health problems that are created as a result of the bad habits they develop, the public health issue of obesity and unhealthy living will continue to grow.