Many people are concerned about the unhealthy consequences of being overweight, and maintaining a healthy weight is a legitimate concern; however, a vast industry has grown to prey on this concern with diet pills and supplements that are frequently ineffective or even unsafe, often offered at a considerable cost to consumers. It is important that you understand the risks some diet pills and supplemental diet aids pose, so you can avoid an expensive and ineffective treatment and also consider the potential long-term effects on your health.
Regulatory Oversight
Due to poor regulatory oversight, nonprescription weight loss supplements and diet pills are regularly released onto the market with little or no testing for safety, efficacy or quality controls, so it is difficult to predict the potential long-term effects of using them, warns QuackWatch.org. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pulls diet pills and supplements off the shelves once a health crisis occurs, as they did with diet aids containing ephedra, suppliers often simply switch to an equally untested, and potentially unsafe, substitute ingredient.
Contaminants
According to the May 2010 "New York Times" article, "Study Finds Supplements Contain Contaminants," a Congressional investigation found contaminants in almost all of the tested supplements, including lead, mercury, arsenic and pesticides. Long-term health effects of exposure to toxic metals, such as lead, include reproductive problems such as miscarriages, gastrointestinal disorders and permanent neurological damage and hearing damage, according the New York State Department of Health. Exposure to certain pesticides can also increase your risk of developing cancer.
Pharmaceuticals
Over-the-counter diet pills and supplements have also been found to contain pharmaceuticals that are not listed in the ingredients and should only be available by prescription. According to the April 2009 "Newsweek" article, "Too Good to be True," an investigation by the FDA found diet pills containing prescription diuretics, anti-anxiety and anti-seizure medications, stimulants, appetite suppressants and even the antidepressant Prozac. Risks of taking these medications include heart attack, stroke, seizures and potentially fatal drug interactions. Long-term effects can include permanent organ damage.
Additional Considerations
Many over-the-counter diet pills and supplements are expensive and don't do anything at all, according to "Newsweek."The pills that seem to work may also be acting as a diuretic, which causes you to lose water weight instead of fat. The most effective way to safely lose weight, in a way that can be maintained over the long term, is through healthy lifestyle changes, such as increasing your physical activity levels and eating a nutritious diet. Always consult a physician before making the decision to take diet pills or supplements. She can advise you on effective weight-loss methods that protect your health.
References
- "Newsweek;" Too Good to be True; Barbara Kantrowitz; April 2009
- "New York Times;" Study Finds Supplements Contain Contaminants; Gardiner Harris; May 2010
- New York State Department of Health: Lead Exposure in Adults - A Guide for Health Care Providers
- Quack Watch: How the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 Weakened the FDA; Stephen Barrett, M.D.
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