Diet
Pill Health Risks
Copyright Margie James
People who suffer from weight problems would like to believe
that there is a simple, easy solution to their situation.
A quick fix of some kind that will help them lose weight
rapidly and without any effort. And there is a multi-billion
dollar industry that revolves around getting people to believe
promises of results that are qualified with fine print stating
that the statements they are making haven’t been evaluated
by the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration). One of the
largest areas of the industry is diet pills. Not only can
they cause harmful side effects, but they can become both
physically and emotionally addictive.
One of the most dangerous aspects of diet pills is that
they are not required by law to be tested by the FDA before
they are released to the public. However, the FDA will act
to remove a product from the market once it has been shown
to be dangerous. This happened in 2003 when the FDA banned
products containing ephedrine (ephedra) after they were
suspected of being at least partly responsible for the death
of a prominent athlete. Secondly, these pills can be purchased
over the counter as well as by prescription. It’s
up to the buyer to make sure he understands and uses the
pills as they were intended. However, some people who are
trying to "fix" themselves and their weight problems
can be inclined to overdose on diet pills in order to try
to speed up the weight loss process even more.
The pills work in different ways. Many are appetite suppressants
with active ingredients like phenylpropanolamine or caffeine.
Many of them are supposed to increase the rate of your metabolism
and at the same time they should help in controlling the
appetite.
Others claim to block the body’s ability
to absorb fat. Others even claim to give the same results
of a bariatric gastric banding surgery without the operation.
These pills expand in the stomach to create a feeling of
satiety. Last, but not least, some diet pills are based
on the process of eliminating waste or fluid from the body.
Many include some form of diuretic or laxative.
Diet Pill Side Effecs
Diet pills can be addictive and can also have harmful side
effects even when they are taken according to the doctor's
directions. If you have any health problems, consult your
physician before taking any kind of diet pill. Be sure that
you follow the directions and be sure that you're aware
of possible side effects. Stop taking the pills immediately
if you experience any of them. Some known side effects of
diet pills include:
- anxiety or nervousness
- irritability
- insomnia and a feeling of restlessness or hyperactivity
- high blood pressure
- tightness in the chest
- heart palpitations
- heart attack
- stroke or congestive heart failure
- digestive tract problems like vomiting, diarrhea, constipation
or other stomach pain
- fever
- dry mouth
- headaches
- dizziness
- blurred vision
- profuse sweating
- hair loss
- menstrual cycle and sex drive disturbances and
- urinary tract problems
In the case of overdose, users can experience tremors or
convulsions, confusion or hallucinations, breathing problems,
renal failure or heart attack.
As you can see, diet pills need to be taken with caution
due to all of the physical risks. But there are emotional
risks too. Often those trying to lose weight may start to
feel emotionally dependent on the pills. They may attribute
their initial success to diet pills only, forgetting any
diet modifications, exercise or other lifestyle changes
that may have been the true reason for the weight loss.
People will often 'pill hop', trying one new pill after
the other, looking for the magic cure that will let them
continue to eat whatever they want but still lose weight.
However, only a balanced, sensible diet combined with exercise
has been proven to keep weight off over any amount of time.
And no pill will cause the lifestyle and emotional changes
needed to stop overeating and start losing weight.
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About the Author
Margie James reviews some of the most known diet pills
on the market at http://www.DietPillsCentral.com - a complete guide on diet pills where you can learn how
they work, whether they give results and how they affect
health.