With a chocolate riddled Easter almost upon us, and the excess of Christmas not long gone, the problem of superfluous flesh, and how to remove it, may be the current concern of a great many people. This is illustrated by the soaring popularity of the prescription-only diabetes drug, Ozempic (semaglutide), after being hailed as a weight loss solution by celebrities and social media influencers. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), who regulates Australia’s medicines, recently announced that Ozempic, now a household name like Jenny Craig in the 80s, should not be given to new patients amid a worldwide shortage. Ozempic is only approved by the TGA for lowering blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes however it is being prescribed, controversially, ‘off-label’ by medical practitioners to treat conditions other than those approved by the TGA, such as weight loss and the management of obesity.
Nowadays, obesity is a pandemic and some people seek slimming solutions to guarantee their health and quality of life. However, the cult of the healthy body has been an ongoing concern since the beginning of time. In an effort to discover more we dug deep into the library of our founder, Lyndsay Shume and it would seem not much has changed in the natural dieting world in almost 60 years – improving health may seem simple but it remains a quixotic task for many. We found a “Help” article titled “How to Reduce Without Misery” from the Health from Herbs magazine published in the United Kingdom in January-February 1968. The magazine was founded in 1864 and claimed to be the “world’s oldest herbal magazine” at the time.
“Excessive stoutness can be reduced provided the patient is willing to make an effort and use commonsense…The fat-forming foods are: Bread, all cereals, sugar, sweet foods, fats, milk and butter. You do need these, but reduce them a little. Eat plenty of vegetables and take more exercise. Also use this formula [adapted from a tea recipe]…used by herbalists for centuries to reduce stoutness…”
Herbal Formula 210mL
Bladderwrack 1:1 (Fuscus vesiculosus) 80mL
Clivers 1:1 (Galium aparine) 80mL
Motherwort 1:1 (Leonurus cardiaca) 30mL
Senna Pods 1:1 (Senna alexandrina) 20mL - if required. If not increase Motherwort to 50mL.
Directions: 5mL TDS after meals.
References
About the Ozempic (semaglutide) shortage 2022 and 2023. (updated 21 Sept 2023; accessed 19 Feb 2024). Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Therapeutic Goods Administration. Available from https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023
Zarzo I, Boselli PM, Soriano JM. History of Slimming Diets up to the Late 1950s. Obesities. 2022; 2(2):115-126. https://doi.org/10.3390/obesities2020011
How to reduce without misery. Health From Herbs. Jan-Feb 1968;3(15):45
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