Today marks the arrival of two new prescription drugs designed to help Americans lose weight. For hundreds of dollars per month, clinically obese Americans will be able to purchase cutting-edge chemistry that is less effective than just taking long walks sometimes.

One new drug, Belviq, costs $200 per month; the other, Qsymia, costs $150 per month. Both work by suppressing appetite. They promise to help obese people lose from 5-10% of their body weight.

For less than the monthly cost of either, obese Americans could purchase a membership at a quality gym, where they could do super squats— more of a mass-building workout, yes, but the good kind of mass. For less than $15, obese Americans can purchase pushup handles, to grasp as they do pushups. They can also place their hands directly on the floor and do pushups at home, for absolutely no cost. Obese Americans can also go for a walk outside, during which they might find some money on the ground, thereby actually getting richer.

These are just a few of the many weight-loss methods that are both more economical and more effective than Belviq or Qsymia.

[USAT. Photo: Nick Royer/ Flickr]