With so many diet pills on the market, it can be confusing to know which ones are effective and even more importantly safe. Your best bet is to go with a prescription weight loss medication taken under medical supervision. All diet pills can cause side effects and there are guidelines that you must follow so that the diet pills work. All prescription diet pills are effective but only if they are taken the right way.
Prescription Weight Loss Medications
Prescription weight loss medications are designed to be used by patients who are obese and have a body mass index above 30. They may also be used when your body mass index reaches 27 if there is a high risk of developing weight-related health problems or health problems already exist. Current prescription weight loss pills include diethylpropion, benzphetamine, phendimetrazine, phentermine, mazindol, sibutramine, bupropion, zonisamide, metformin and orlistat. Orlistat inhibits your body from absorbing some of the fat you eat and the other medications suppress appetite, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Effectiveness
Losing weight is not easy and sometimes using a prescription weight loss medication may help to jump start your weight loss efforts. However, taking diet pills alone is not the best approach. Even when taking medication, it is necessary to establish good eating habits and exercise regularly. Combining healthy lifestyle choices with a prescription weight loss pill can help you to shed 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight within a year, reports MayoClinic.com. Weight loss medications are designed to get you started losing weight, not to take the place of a lifetime of healthy eating and exercising.
Safety
Even when taken as prescribed, weight loss pills can cause many side effects. The Weight Control Information Network recommends being on the lookout for nausea, diarrhea, high blood pressure, increased or irregular heart rate, dizziness, insomnia, stomach cramps, oily stools, dry mouth, headaches, weakness and others. In rare cases weight loss pills can lead to gallstones, gallbladder disease, liver disease and other serious complications. Weight loss medications can interact with other medications being taken, so they should only be used under medical supervision.
Considerations
Obesity can be the result of many factors such as eating too many calories, being sedentary, genetics, underlying medical conditions and food may be helping you manage emotions such as boredom, stress, loneliness, anxiety and others. While a weight loss pill may help you to get started, if you do not deal with the underlying reasons that cause you to overeat, you will most likely gain back any weight loss that occurred while on the medication. A comprehensive weight loss program involves not only taking the medication but attending counseling as well to address triggers that lead to overeating.
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