The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, rejected three diet pills in October of 2010 -- Qnexa, lorcaserin and Meridia -- due to safety concerns and potential health risks. The latest rejections seem to have dampened enthusiasm for developing treatments to battle America's obesity problems. According to Dr. Ken Fujioka, of the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, "It looks pretty bleak out there for anyone trying to get a drug approval for weight loss." The following is a listing of the top 10 over-the-counter weight loss pills in terms of safety.
Likely Safe
Diet pill ingredients deemed "likely safe" by the FDA are chromium, which claims to increase metabolism, build muscle and reduce appetite; and guar gum, which claims to increase satiety and block dietary fat absorption.
Possibly Safe
Diet pill components rated as "possibly safe" are chitosan, claiming to block fat absorption; conjugated linoleic acid - or CLA - purported to build muscle and reduce body fat; and green tea extract, which promises to increase metabolism and decrease appetite.
Possibly/Likely Unsafe
Bitter orange, promising an increase in calorie consumption, is listed as "possibly unsafe." The FDA lists country mallow, also known as heartleaf and ephedra, as "likely unsafe." Both products claim to decrease appetite and are banned by the FDA.
Unrated
There is not enough information to rate hoodia, an appetite suppressant. Alli, the over-the-counter version of the prescription drug marketed as Xenical and promising to decrease dietary fat absorption, is under FDA investigation for reports of liver damage.
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