Weight Loss Pills: Helpful or Hazardous?

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Have you ever wished there was a magic pill to end all your problems? Sounds great, right? Well, if your problem is weight loss, not so much. Unfortunately, weight loss pills aren’t everything they say they are. In this post, I’ll talk about diet aids, if they’re helpful or harmful, and what to avoid.

This post will talk specifically about over-the-counter weight loss supplements, not prescription medications. If your doctor has prescribed you a weight loss medication, please follow their orders. For clarity, I use “diet aids” and “weight loss supplements” interchangeably in this post.

What Are Weight Loss Pills?

Weight loss pills and other diet aids are supplements taken to reduce body fat. They claim to either lower appetite, make you burn more calories, or keep the body from storing fat. Some even say they boost muscle mass. Diet aids aren’t only pills but can also be in powder, gummy, or liquid form.

There’s evidence that some diet aids can give you a slight boost, while others are completely useless. However, they all come with side effects, are costly, and still require you to make changes in diet to see weight reduction. Some of the more commonly known diet aids are Hydroxycut, Slimquick, and Lipozene.

How Do They Burn Fat or Lower Appetite?

Each weight loss supplement contains different ingredients said to do specific things. Caffeine and green coffee bean extract are said to help the body burn fat. On the other hand, hoodia and garcinia cambogia are believed to decrease appetite.

Here’s a list of ingredients used in weight loss pills:

• Green Tea Extract.
• Raspberry ketones.
• Hoodia.
• Caffeine.
• Glucomannan.
• Garcinia cambogia.
• Green coffee bean extract.
• Chitosan.
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).

The Dangers of Weight Loss Pills

Because weight loss pills are not controlled like other medications, it’s hard to know if they’re safe or even effective. In the United States, the FDA follows different rules for supplements and does not review them like prescription drugs. Also, manufacturers don’t need to get their products approved to sell them.

Since diet aids don’t need to go through the testing that medications do, they can be useless or harmful without anyone knowing. Some diet pills have even been found with ingredients not listed on the label. Also, any studies that do get done are too small to show any trustworthy results. In the end, you could be throwing away your money or hurting your body.

Many diet pills contain caffeine, which isn’t bad in smaller doses. However, in doses over 400mg a day, you can experience muscle tremors, rapid heartbeat, headaches, and insomnia. If you’re looking into a diet aid with caffeine, simply buying coffee is a much cheaper option.

Taking supplements claiming to make you healthy is also a lost opportunity. If someone relies on supplements to find health, they can miss out on properly nourishing their body with nutritious foods. By doing so, they’re also likely to lose some of their excess body fat.

Lastly, someone with an eating disorder can abuse weight loss pills. The side effects of weight loss supplements can add to the dangers they already face with their disordered eating. In short, weight loss pills can have an addictive quality for someone fixated on losing weight.

The Side Effects of Diet Aids

Most diet pills have no deadly side effects. Some of them, however, lead to more dangerous conditions. Here are the most common diet supplement side effects:

• Gastrointestinal issues, such as bloating and constipation.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Insomnia and fatigue.
• Irritability and nervousness.
• Headaches.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Kidney problems.
• Interference with prescription medications.

If You Still Want to Use Weight Loss Pills

I recommend steering clear of any diet aids, but if you decide to use them, talk to your doctor before you start. Especially if you have an underlying condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Your doctor may even suggest something safer or more effective for you.

Also, when using weight loss supplements, make sure you drink plenty of water. These pills can be high in vitamins and minerals that put a lot of strain on your kidneys. Drinking plenty of water will help your kidneys filter the blood properly.

How to Reduce Fat Healthily

Even if you’re taking diet supplements, you still need to change your diet to see sustainable results. So, why not leave out the pills altogether and avoid the side effects? To lose weight healthily, focus on eating lots of fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains. A healthy diet paired with moderate daily exercise will let the weight come off and stay off.

Don’t forget to let yourself eat the foods you love in moderation. This will keep you from feeling deprived and wanting to quit. Throw in some resistance training to keep your metabolism in good shape. Healthily losing weight can give you all the benefits that weight loss pills never will, including increased mood, decreased risk for disease, and better energy.

“Living a healthy, joyful life is a gift you give yourself.” – Paula Constance, Power Healing Foods Click To Tweet

In Summary

Weight loss pills are supplements taken to help burn fat and lower appetite. There’s very little evidence that weight loss supplements work. Aside from wasting money, you can also harm your body when you use them. While most of the side effects are small, some can seriously hurt you.

If you’re sure you want to take weight loss pills, please speak to your doctor about it first. They can give you a better insight into whether you’re making the right choice. In the meantime, eating healthy food and getting some exercise will get you started on your journey to weight loss.

Have you ever taken diet pills before? Share your experience in the comments!

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References:

• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/herbal-remedies
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WeightLoss-Consumer/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678