Weight Loss Pills: Are They Safe?

January 23rd, 2007

Weight Loss Pills: Are They Safe?

Author: Kathryn Whittaker

In terms of diet pills, before asking about their
effectiveness, it’s better to ask: are they safe? Let’s face it
- a diet pill manufacturer is going to brag about how many
pounds you’ll lose by taking their product, not how many side
effects you’ll have. As a result, most customers are not given
enough information about the safety of diet products and
unfortunately might put their health at risk.

Phenylpropanolamine and caffeine

Most over-the-counter diet pills contain a combination of
medications that have various benefits and harms. Usually they
include phenylpropanolamine and caffeine, which suppress
appetite. Phenlpropanolamine stimulates the central nervous
system and has many effects on the body, in that it controls
appetite. This is why it’s a key ingredient in most diet pills.
Caffeine acts in a similar way and also causes a person to be
alert and awake.

There is proof that diet pills can effectively reduce a
person’s weight, but many health experts question the relevance
of this. Recently, there have been findings that show
phenylpropanolamine to cause serious side effects such as high
blood pressure, nausea, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia,
irritability and even hallucinations. Similarly, caffeine can
affect a person’s blood circulation and its effects on blood
pressure are unpredictable. Obese individuals are especially in
danger of hypertension - which is ironic, as the heavier a
person is, the more likely he or she will be to take a diet
pill.

Laxatives and Diuretics

Some diet pills on the market contain laxatives and diuretics.
These merely force a person’s body to eliminate vital body
fluids. Specifically, a laxative stimulates a dieter’s large
bowel to empty, but only after food and calories have been
absorbed via the small intestines. So fluids are lost in the
process and thus the body reacts by retaining water and
consequentially, bloating occurs. This simply causes a person
to feel they need to lose more weight. Basically, laxatives not
only don’t work, but are counterproductive.

Prolonged use of laxatives also cause cramps, bloating,
bulimia, anorexia, severe abdominal pain, dehydration, gas,
nausea, vomiting, electrolyte disturbances, and chronic
constipation and when laxative use finally ceases, a person can
experience withdrawal symptoms. Laxatives should only be used to
correct irregular bowel movement; otherwise they simply cause
problems.

Likewise, diuretics are a very dangerous component of diet
pills, since they cause heart arrhythmias and dizziness. They
also lead to dehydration and ultimately, kidney and organ
damage due to the subsequent imbalance of electrolytes within
the body. In order to protect itself from further loss of
water, the body will again, retain more water and cause an
individual to feel even fatter than before.

Conclusion

So far, no pills or artificial diet supplements can adequately
replace regular exercise and a nutritious diet. If you want to
lose weight, your aim should be for a healthy body, not a
damaged one. Don’t fall prey to misleading diet commercials and
bear in mind that there is no such thing as a “quick fix” to
weight loss.

About The Author: Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Health
and Beauty related topics. To access more information on
http://www.infactual.com/category/health/ or on
http://www.infactual.com/2006/05/01/weight_loss4/, please click
on the links.

Weight Loss Pills: Are They Safe?

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