| The desire to be beautiful and the tendency to judge others by their appearances are elements of human nature. Maintaining a good figure, whether for personal health reasons or to earn praise from others, is the dream of many individuals. The use of weight-loss drugs has become a popular, cost-effective solution for those who have failed to lose weight through exercise or dieting, fueled by the wealth of information available via rapidly-changing media, such as the Internet. Pharmaceutical public relations practitioners who work on behalf of companies which manufacture weight-loss drugs are being criticized by both the public and the public relations profession itself, for selling sickness to healthy humans, and for helping to create the public perception that taking drugs is the only way to control disease.;This thesis examines the public relations practices implemented for weight-loss drug Xenical in the U.S. and Taiwan markets since its launch in May 1999. It also discusses ethical issues that pharmaceutical public relations practitioners face, and provides suggestions for practitioners in dealing with ethical dilemmas, irrespective of what nation they are practicing in. |
