With American obesity on the rise, there is an ever growing need for new weight loss aids to help with this epidemic. More now than ever we are looking to prescription weight loss medications and over the counter diet pills as a quick fix to make us healthier.
People generally aren’t aware of diet pill side effects. They assume that since it is on the shelf, it must be safe and effective. Some just don’t want to spend the time researching weight loss pills for the most efficient ones.
Diet pills are like any other drugs and have some degree of health risks involved. Some ingredients in diet pills, such as Ephedra, have been linked to raised heart rates, raised blood pressure and heart failure. You shouldn’t start taking a diet medication until you have consulted with your doctor.
The more popular prescription diet pills are Phentermine, Meridia, Acomplia, and Phenimetrazine products. Almost all prescription diet pills fall into three categories including noradrenergenic agents, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and lipase inhibitor.
The safest form of prescription medication is found in the noradrenergenic category. The medication increases the level of norepinephrine in the brain which helps control your appetite. Common weight loss from this product is from five to fifteen pounds over a six month period.
The only drug in the Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors category is Sibutramine. Sibutramine increases the amount of serotonin and norepinephrinein your brain that signal to your brain that you are full. When using sibutramine studies have shown that those who lose four or more pounds in the first month are more likely to lose ten percent of their body weight after one year.
The only medication in the lipase inhibitor category is Xenical. This product works by effectively blocking the action of lipase, an enzyme released by the pancreas to aid in the body’s digestion of fat.
If you decide to purchase diet pills without the help of your doctor, you should be aware that non-prescription diet pills are associated with endless types of health problems, even years after the product was initially used. The main issue is that many diet pills aren’t subjected to stringent testing by federal authorities. If you find a product that contains ephedra run the other way, this product has been directly linked to heart attack, stroke, and death. It is now banned by the U.S. government.
Your best bet for long term weight loss is to consult your doctor for professional tips that can save your life. You may experience short term, unhealthy weight loss but if you haven’t changed you eating patterns, once you stop taking the pills your weight will come back.