Weight loss has become an obsession in America, and it's no wonder because 66 percent of Americans are considered overweight or obese. In 2008, "Business Week" reported that U.S. spending on weight-loss supplements and programs totaled $40 billion. At any given moment, someone is looking for a dietary supplement that will get rid of fat on the abdomen, thighs or hips. Understand the pros and cons of weight- loss supplements before you use them, and consult a physician before you start any diet.
Types
Weight-loss supplements have different mechanisms or processes that help you slim down. Appetite suppressants are one of the most popular types. Thermogenic weight-loss products speed up your metabolism and encourage your body to burn excess fat. Fat blockers or inhibitors keep your body from absorbing fats as they pass through your digestive tract. In each category, consumers can find prescription formulas and over-the-counter supplements or herbal preparations.
Side Effects
Prescription and over-the-counter weight-loss supplements are not without side effects. Appetite suppressants often cause increased heart rates and elevated blood pressure. Some products cause nervousness, insomnia and anxiety. Gastrointestinal difficulties, especially diarrhea, and headaches are other potential side effects.
Prescription Supplements Regulation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees the sale of prescription weight-loss medications. As of 2010, the FDA has approved five prescription medications for weight loss: diethylpropion, orlistat, phendimetrazine, phentermine and sibutramine. With the exception of orlistat, a fat blocker, these medications are appetite suppressants. Sibutramine and orlistat can be taken for as long as a year, but the other three have a 12-week limit.
FDA Oversight
Since 1994, manufacturers of herbal and over-the-counter weight-loss supplements have not been required to gain FDA approval of their products. The exceptions are new ingredients and products that contain controlled medications. The FDA can request recalls for products that make misleading and false claims, cause injury to consumers or contain ingredients prohibited for use in products for human consumption. As of 2010, Alli, a fat blocker, is the only FDA-approved over-the-counter weight-loss supplement. Its main ingredient is orlistat, a controlled substance.
Warning
The university warns that consumers, especially pregnant women, should only use weight loss supplements under medical supervision. As of 2009, the FDA had issued alerts for 72 supplements that contain harmful or controlled substances. It also confirmed 23 reports of liver injuries and one death from a popular supplement that it subsequently recalled, according to Reuters.
The FDA's 2010 consumer alerts identified a weight-loss supplement that contained fenfluramine, a drug associated with heart damage and banned in the United States since 1997. This supplement, along with five others, contained sibutramine, a controlled substance that requires FDA approval before sale. The manufacturer of Meridia, a prescription brand of sibutramine, voluntarily removed its product from the U.S. market in 2010 after a clinical trial showed that this drug increased the risk of serious heart problems by 16 percent.
References
- "Business Week": The Diet Industry: A Big Fat Lie
- Uniformed Services University: Looking for the Edge, Dietary Supplements
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration: Dietary Supplements
- Weight-control Information Network: Food and Drug Administration-Approved Prescription Weight-loss Medications
- University of Maryland: Weight Control and Diet -- Medications
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration: Overview of Dietary Supplements
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