Diet Pills: A Lot Of Risk For A Little Loss
Copyright 2005 Adam Waxler
There are a number of products on the market - both prescription
and non-prescription - which claim to be effective weight loss
aids. Many of these have been associated with serious medical
risks, including heart attack, heart abnormalities, tachycardia,
stroke, seizures and death. The side effects can be daunting,
but how realistic are they?
Diet pills fall into several different classes. Most are
appetite suppressants of one kind or another, generally
stimulants with effects similar to those of amphetamine. They
are approved for treatment of obesity, where it's considered
that the health risks associated with gross overweight outweigh
the risks associated with the medication.
For someone who has less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are
far less cut-and-dry. While the FDA and manufacturers closely
monitor the effects of prescription weight loss medications,
over the counter medications and their risks are far less
documented. Herbal supplements are even less documented still,
especially those whose makers don't officially make weight loss
claims for them.
While makers of pharmaceuticals must meet stringent labeling
requirements and tests for safety and effectiveness, those who
make weight loss 'supplements' are not regulated in the same
way. As long as they don't contain a 'new' ingredient, or one
that has never been marketed for weight loss purposes, they are
not subject to FDA review. Instead, the manufacturer is held
responsible for the safety and effectiveness of their products.
Often, that means unregulated dosages, unhealthy additives and
ineffective ingredients.
In an effort to encourage improvement in the reporting standards
and the pharmaceutical standards for weight loss medications,
the United States Pharmacopoeia has introduced the Comprehensive
Dietary Supplement Verification Program. Currently voluntary, it
involves certification by the USP of certain labeling and
practice standards, including that the product contains the
ingredients stated on the label in the strength declared, that
they are within limits for impurities like metals, pesticides
and bacteria, that the medication will be absorbed by the body
according to USP criteria, and that it has been created with all
safe precautions.
Until the day that all over the counter medications and herbal
preparations marketed as weight loss supplements and aids are
labeled and tested by impartial researchers, there are some
things that you can do to lessen the risks associated with using
diet pills.
Research is your best friend. There's a lot of information out
there about drugs and herbs like ephedra, ephinedrine,
phentermine and sibutramine. Know what you're taking and what
the risks are so that you can watch for side effects.
Always talk to your doctor before you start taking any drug or
herbal supplement. Many of them interact poorly with other
medications, or have an adverse effect on chronic conditions.
Follow dosage instructions. Overdoses of stimulant medications,
which are a component of most weight loss preparations, can be
serious and severe.
Don't take any weight loss pill or supplement for more than a
few weeks without it being prescribed by a doctor.
Check with your pharmacist when purchasing over the counter
weight loss preparations to be sure that the ingredients don't
interact with other medications you may be taking. Include both
prescription and nonprescription medications in your questions.
Ideally, don't take weight loss pills. The effectiveness of most
have not been proven at all. It's an awful lot of risk for such
a little loss.