Weight loss is frustrating to many people. Once you add excess pounds to your waistline, it can be difficult to shed them. If you are having trouble maintaining healthy eating habits and are not getting regular exercise, you may have considered buying diet pills to supplement your efforts. Many diet pills are ineffective, but some do work. You must take the proper steps to choose an effective drug that is right for your needs.
Step 1
Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your diet pill options. Most over-the-counter diet pills have not been proven to be effective for weight loss. Your doctor can provide information on prescription diet pills that have been studied in research trials and approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Step 2
Explain to the doctor your reasons for wanting to use diet pills. According to the Mayo Clinic, pills are a temporary fix. The best weight loss programs combine diet and exercise. Pills are only recommended for people who have a body mass index of more than 30 and who have failed when using other weight loss methods. Your doctor may consider you a candidate for diet pills with a lower BMI if you have risk factors such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea or diabetes.
Step 3
Discuss your diet pill options with the doctor. He will probably mention drugs such as sibutramine or orlistat, each of which works in a different way. Sibutramine (brand name Meridia) works on the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine to surpress appetite, while orlistat (brand name Xenical) keeps dietary fat from being absorbed.
Step 4
Consider side effects of the diet pills. The Mayo Clinic says that sibutramine can increase your blood pressure and cause dry mouth, constipation, headaches and insomnia. Orlistat often causes an urgent need for bowel movements, diarrhea, oily bowel movements, abdominal pain and bloating. Your doctor can help you weigh the potential benefits of each diet pill against these effects.
Step 5
Many insurance plans do not cover diet pills so you may have to pay the entire cost out of pocket.
Tips and Warnings
- Combine the diet pills with other lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and exercise. This will help you shed pounds quicker. It will also make you more likely to keep the weight off once you stop using diet pills. If you don't want to use a prescription diet pill, you can buy the Alli diet pill over the counter. According to the Mayo Clinic, Alli is a lower-strength version of orlistat that blocks fat absorption. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss. However, it can have the same side effects as the prescription version.
- The Mayo Clinic warns that most over-the-counter diet pills have never been shown to be effective in scientific trials. Those that are sold as dietary supplements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The watchdog group Public Citizen warns that prescription drugs may not help users keep weight off for the long term, and some can cause other health risks such as intestinal problems.
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