Diet Pills Health Risks
Margie
James | Published 11/25/2005
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 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.
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.
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