Without TV ads, restless legs may take a hike

The strength of marketing and a suggestion.

First, marketing strength.

"After a speedy rise as one of the nation’s oddest-sounding designer disorders, restless legs syndrome may have run its course.

In 2005, the federal Food and Drug Administration approved the first medication targeting the twitching condition, propelling the problem to household-name status and launching a multimillion-dollar consumer advertising campaign by manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline...

At least one sleep disorder specialist expects the focus on restless legs syndrome to fade as rapidly as the Requip television commercials — which have already been pulled from the airwaves.

'Restless legs syndrome is a great example of a suddenly out-of-the-blue disease,' said Dr. Christopher J. Earley, an associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore who treats the disorder."

Okay, so the diagnosis is fabricated and the drug is bull.

Now a suggestion.

Poor GlaxoSmithKline can still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

There is this odd idea out there called NEAT.

I think it is stupid.

But, it gets support as does lots of other crap.

Basically NEAT is purported to be a way the body burns lots and lots and lots of Calories from just twitching.

GSK has positioned itself as the Restless Leg Syndrome drug experts.

Why lose the value of that branding?

Instead of suppressing RLS, enhance it as a cure for overweight and obesity.

They can call it NEAT Legs Syndrome or NEATLS, (rhymes with needles).

Everybody is fat and everybody thought they had RLS.

Now the same morons can buy the drug to turn their "already existing condition" into a real fat burner.

If GSK sold pharmaceutical grade ankle weights, they could claim their NEATLS drug helps burn fat and build muscle.

The "Workout While You West" campaign. ("West" as in Elmer Fudd's "Rest" since you can do it lying down)

They probably will steal the concept and not pay me a penny.

Darn.