Avoiding Dangerous Weight Loss Pills

With approximately two-thirds of the adult American population considered obese or overweight, a lot of money is spent on weight loss pills in hopes of finding a quick and easy way to lose weight.  Weight loss pills are one of the most popular tools for weight loss.  They typically promise rapid weight loss and often do so by touting their ability to help us lose weight without diet and/or exercise.  These diet pills generally are said to work in one or more of several ways including suppressing appetite so we feel less hungry and eat less, enhancing metabolism so we burn more calories without necessarily having to do extra exercise, and blocking fat absorption so we consume fewer calories from fat. 

While all of the marketing messages and even the science behind some of these diet pill products appear promising, it seems that we are finding more and more frequently that many of these diet pill products are being adulterated with pharmaceutical drugs.  Just this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that two weight loss pills were found to be contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs.  In their first news release, the FDA warned that Que She weight loss capsules, marketed as “Slimming Factor Capsule”, contains fenfluramine, sibutramine, ephedrine, and propanolol, drugs either withdrawn from the market (fenfluramine) or known to pose risks to certain populations.  In their second related press release, the FDA announced that “Slim-30 Herb Supplement” contained traces of sibutramine and N-desmethyl sibutramine.  Sibutramine is known to increase blood pressure and heart rate in some people and can therefore be a substantial risk to some individuals.  While these might seem like isolated incidences, the FDA has warned us about many other similar diet pills that have been found to contain undeclared drugs like sibutramine, rimonabant, and phenolphthalein.

So what are we to do?  First, it is important to remember that the best weight loss plans still focus on diet and exercise.  As simplistic as it might sound, the basics of losing weight still rely upon a reduction in calorie intake and an increase in exercise (calories burned).  Weight loss pills can have a place in a healthy weight loss plan.  Many studies have shown that diet pills taken as part of a healthy weight loss plan based on caloric restriction and increased physical activity can boost weight loss by a few additional pounds.  However, it is important to be careful about the diet pills we choose.  If you decide to start a weight loss plan, be sure to discuss your plan with your physician and if you are going to make a promising-looking diet pill part of your overall weight loss plan let you doctor know what weight loss pill you intend to use.  Your physician might have information on the safety of the diet pill and any possible interactions it might have with other medications you might be taking.  In addition to talking with your physician, research your diet pill.  Visit the FDA’s website for current press releases and other safety information.

While many healthy weight loss plans are effective, they can also be difficult to follow.  My diet plan is both easy to follow and delicious.  Exercising 30-45 minutes per day most days of the week is an important part of my diet plan and can be as easy as taking a brisk walk every day.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more!