Successfully losing weight is a long and challenging process. It's difficult to resist diet pill advertisements that claim they can help you "lose weight fast" or "lose more weight than with diet and exercise alone." In 2007, according to the Nutrition Business Journal, American consumers spent $1.7 billion on pills and supplements that claimed to aid in fast and effective weight loss. Spending your hard earned money on diet pills is a financial risk, but more importantly it's a health risk.
Over-the-Counter Diet Pills
There are a variety of diet pills and weight loss supplements for sale at your local grocery store and pharmacy, not to mention the number of products being advertised and sold online. Over-the-counter weight-loss aids are categorized by the FDA as dietary supplements. According to the FDA website, "Dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors are not required to obtain approval from FDA before marketing dietary supplements." As a result, products that may be harmful reach consumers without being further tested by anyone other than the provider.
Prescription Diet Pills
Prescription diet pills have the potential to be just as dangerous as over-the-counter weight-loss aids. An article released by Time magazine shows how two dangerous active ingredients in diet pills, commonly known as Phen/Fen, slipped through FDA regulations, "The FDA approved fenfluramine and phentermine more than 20 years ago, but the drugs' synergistic effect has never been vetted in a large-scale clinical trial, and the FDA never gave its blessing to their combined use." Although prescription drugs are researched and tested by the FDA before being released, negative side effects can still result. The FDA states that a new drug is approved when "a review by FDA physicians and scientists shows the drug's benefit outweigh its known risks."
FDA Crackdown
In the spring of 2009, the FDA announced that they had weeded out 72 over-the-counter weight-loss related products that could have adverse health affects. Upon closer investigation and analysis it was discovered that all 72 products contained undeclared active ingredients that are either found in various prescription drugs or suspected to be harmful. They included sibutramine, a drug only legally sold in the United States with a prescription; rimonabant, a drug that has yet to be approved for sale in the U.S.; and phenolphthalein, which is being researched as a cancer-causing agent. Michael Levy, director of the division of new drugs and labeling compliance, stated that they "have ramped up [their] investigation of these types of products as a result of initial positive samples."
How to Spot False Claims on Weight-Loss Supplements
Some weight-loss aids scream false claims while others are harder to pick out. There are a few techniques for spotting supplements that are ineffective and possibly detrimental to your health. First, be wary of any advertisement that claims that their product will make losing weight easy or that their product will provide quick and dramatic results. Weight loss, especially on a large scale, is not an easy task, nor is it a fast one. Another way to spot ineffective and harmful diet pills is if the company's only proof of their products effectiveness is personal testimonials or if their research cannot be linked back to any accredited researchers, scientists or educators.
Talk to Your Doctor and Do Your Research
If you are considering taking diet pills to lose weight, start first by sitting down with your doctor. They will have the most up-to-date and reliable information concerning prescription and over-the-counter weight-loss aids. Secondly, do your research. If you are looking online, make sure you use websites that are hosted by professionals, such as government and education websites. Look for scientific research and do not trust personal testimonials.
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