I wish I had a nickel for every weight loss aid and pill on the
market. You and I could both retire. Many of these have been
associated with serious medical risks, including heart attack,
heart abnormalities, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death.
That’s pretty scary!
Most diet pills are appetite suppressants of one kind or
another, generally stimulants with effects similar to those of
amphetamine. They’re okayed for treatment of obesity, where it’s
considered that the health risks associated with obesity
outweigh the risks of the medication.
But is you have less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are far
less cut-and-dried. Over the counter medications and their risks
are not as well-documented as the effects of prescription diet
pills. Herbal preparation effects are documented even less,
especially those whose makers don’t officially make weight loss
claims.
Here’s part of the problem. As long as they don’t contain a
‘new’ ingredient, or one that has never been marketed for weight
loss purposes, weight-loss aids are not subject to FDA review.
Instead, the manufacturer is held responsible for the safety and
effectiveness of their products. So a lot of times that means
unregulated dosages, unhealthy additives and ineffective
ingredients.
Hopefully, one day all over the counter medications and herbal
preparations marketed as weight loss supplements will be labeled
and tested by impartial researchers. Until then, there are some
things that you can do to lessen diet pill risks.
Research thoroughly. There’s a lot of information out there
about drugs and herbs like ephedra, ephinedrine, phentermine and
sibutramine. Know what you’re taking and what the risks are so
that you can watch for side effects.
Always talk to your doctor before you start taking any drug or
herbal supplement. Yes, I know you’ve heard this a thousand
times, but there are good reasons for the advice! Some products
interact poorly with other medications, or have an adverse
effect on chronic conditions.
Follow dosage instructions. Overdoses of stimulant medications,
which are a component of most weight loss preparations, can be
serious and severe.
Don’t take any weight loss pill or supplement for more than a
few weeks unless a doctor has prescribed it.
Ask your pharmacist when purchasing over the counter weight loss
preparations to be sure that the ingredients don’t interact with
other medications you may be taking. Include both prescription
and nonprescription medications in your questions.
There are much more healthy and effective ways to lose weight
than taking pills. The potential of serious health problems
remains. It’s an awful lot of risk for a little weight loss
Jeff Dedrick
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/diet-pills-a-risky-idea-1399.html
