While I'm in an epidemiologic articly mood... this is from an article in the Australian Doctor, 4/06, sourced from BMJ 1/4/2006, 332:745...

According to researchers from the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia, a new condition has been observed called "Motivational deficiency disorder" (MoDeD). Characteristics include overwhelming and debilitating apathy, and in extreme cases it can fatally reduce the motivation to breathe. The condition affects up to one in 5 Australians and is estimated to cost the Australian economy about $2.4 billion in lost productivity every year.

The researchers say that treatment for MoDeD was showing promising early results in phase II trials, which are yet to be publish. Indolebant (Strivor), a cannabinoid CBI was effective and well tolerated. "One young man who could not leave his sofa is now working as an investment adviser in Sydney", said Professor Argos. "This disorder is poorly understood," he said. "It is underdiagnosed and undertreated."

The condition (which is obviously not real) was officially created at the conference on disease-mongering in Newcastle (hey!! I was at the Royal Newcastle while that thing was on!! all I thought was hey there's lots of doctors talking around a table of ... FREE FOOD!!!). While this article was obviously written to highlight disease-mongering (and promote the conference), it's worrying that people took the BMJ April Fool's edition seriously (e.g. typing in "indolebant" into google brings up some great articles (the second one even starts bagging out pharmaceutical companies and the fictional Healthtec that produces the fictional indolebant!!):

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_1604867.htm - Couch potatoes are sick, need drugs (ABC science online)

http://www.999today.com/health/news/story/2977.html - Australian scientists discover new disease

and the Chicago Tribune's article on the disease being a fake - "There is a cure for a new disease called fictionosis" (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-0604090324apr09,1,7989646.column?coll=chi-health-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true) was a result of writer of the article sending an email to the professor who wrote the MoDeD study, and her finding out that it wasn't real!!

Thanks for clinical pharmacologist Professor David Henry for showing the world a great Aussie sense of humour :P hmmm now that I know that I'm suffering from MoDed and need treatment... where do i get my hands on this indolebant stuff.... Healthtec!! Help me out!!