If you want to lose weight quickly, you may be attracted by the many supplements marketed as weight-loss aids. Over-the-counter diet pills are easier to get your hands on than prescription weight loss pills, and that alone should cause you to second-guess their safety. Most over-the-counter diet pills aren't likely to live up to their claims, and some may be safer than others.
No Safety Guarantees
You'll find a number of diet pills on store shelves, but most of them aren't guaranteed as safe or even effective, warns MayoClinic.com. Diet pill companies can sell products that may be unsafe because they aren't held to the same high standards as prescription drugs. The FDA categorizes over-the-counter diet pills as dietary supplements, meaning it doesn't oversee the pills' safety and won't take steps to ban unsafe products until after they are already being sold. Diet supplement companies must vouch for their pills' safety, and they have an inherent bias in favor of their products.
Safer Pills
Although no diet pill is free from potential adverse effects or guaranteed to help you lose weight, some may be safer than others. Chitosan, which claims to help your body block dietary fat, is possibly safe, according to MayoClinic.com. Another supplement, chromium, is safe for most people at recommended dosages, and it may help decrease your appetite and help you burn calories faster and build muscle. One form of chromium, chromium picolinate, may cause side effects such as anemia, DNA damage and memory problems, warns the Colorado State University Extension. Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, may be safe, and allegedly helps reduce body fat and build muscle. However, supplementing with CLA may increase your risk factors for heart disease. Another popular supplement ingredient, green tea extract, seems to be safe and may help boost your metabolism and decrease your appetite. Its possible side effects are restlessness, insomnia and jitters. Guar gum, which may help block dietary fat and increase fullness, is in the "likely safe" category.
A Note About Alli
Alli, a 50 percent weaker version of the prescription fat blocker Xenical, is the only FDA-approved diet pill sold over the counter. Its FDA approval suggests that it is safer and more effective than supplements if taken properly. The FDA started receiving reports in 2009 regarding serious liver injury in people taking the drug. If you're already taking Alli, see your doctor as soon as possible if you begin having symptoms such as fever, yellowed skin, yellowed whites of the eyes, brown urine, fatigue and fever, because these are symptoms of liver injury.
Considerations
Don't try diet pills until you talk to your doctor. Be especially prudent about getting your doctor's clearance if you have health problems or take prescription medications, as the ingredients in a pill could interact poorly with your condition or the medication. Your doctor will also be able to monitor your progress and give you other advice on losing weight healthily. Keep up with new reports on pill bans. Supplements such as ephedra and heart leaf, once on the market, were banned after reports of serious side effects.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Overview of Dietary Supplements
- MayoClinic.com: Over-the-counter Weight Loss Pills: Do They Work?
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; FDA Uncovers Additional Tainted Weight Loss Products; March 2009
- Colorado State University Extension; Weight Loss Products and Programs; J. Anderson and J. Roach; 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Alli Weight-Loss Pill: Does it Work?; Donald Hensrud
- Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database: Product Information
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