Over The Counter Weight Loss Products

Fast, over-the-counter weight-loss products seem appealing and sometimes hard to resist. Weight-loss products are not tested by the exacting standards of prescription drugs, making them legal to be sold with limited proof of effectiveness or safety. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Once a product is on the market, the Food and Drug Administration monitors safety and can take action to ban or recall dangerous products."

Effectiveness

An article published by Obesity News.com warned: "If a product has been shown to produce weight loss, results of positive clinical trials can be located in medical journals and reviews of studies in reliable magazines and newsletters. Individuals should never accept claims from companies that sell weight loss products." The article also advises that a common strategy of manufacturers is to use animal studies as proof the products help lose weight. Compounds that work well on rodents may not be effective on humans or may produce adverse reactions. By gathering as much information as possible on clinical studies of weight-loss products, you can make a safe decision on using the drug.

Common Ingredients

According to a Consumer's Union fact sheet, "after the federal ban on ephedra in 2004, weight loss product companies began to add ephedra-free options like bitter orange and green tea extract to products." Both of these ingredients are stimulants and are often combined with each other plus caffeine, yielding combinations that may pose dangers. In addition, there is negligible evidence these ephedra substitutes will help people lose weight.

Dangers

Since weight-loss products have little regulation, there is no single credible source to determine safety due to the lack of studies. MayoClinic.com reports: "Most of the over the counter weight-loss aids are likely safe but no definitive studies exist." Ephedra has been reported to be unsafe and is banned by the FDA. With the lack of trials on weight-loss products, individuals should err on the side of caution and avoid use of these products.

Reported Side Effects

According to an article posted on the 3 Fat Chicks website, "some of the side effects of over the counter weight loss products include headache, diarrhea, heart irregularities, high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack."

Safer Alternatives

A safer alternative to weight loss products is CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid. CLA is a naturally occurring free fatty acid found mainly in meat and dairy products. A June 2004 article in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported a study performed by the Scandinavian Clinical Research Center indicated long-term supplementation of CLA reduces body fat in healthy overweight adults.