Dangers of Diet Pills
By Christopher Sharits
American's spend more than 6 Billion dollars a year on diet pills. There are literally hundreds of diet pills. At any given time there are dozens of "lose weight quick" schemes in the media. They usually involve some "miracle" drug or supplement foods. Whether the pills or ingredients are over the counter or prescription, they can be very dangerous to your long term health.
Remember fen/phen or Ephedra. Both caused heart trouble and were banned by the FDA. That's two out of hundreds of pills, many of them unregulated. Most diet pills contain caffeine (a stimulant added for that "burst of energy"). While almost everyone drinks or takes caffeine, it can be dangerous in large quantities. Caffeine stimulates adrenaline which increases blood sugar and begins to emit cortisol which destroys the nervous system. Imagine a person who drinks coffee all the time and takes diet pills. They would have greatly increased their risk for cushings disease. Other common ingredients are Xenical (which can cause unexpected fecal discharge), Adipex, Phentermine, and Merdia. The side effects from these drugs can be chest pain, racing heartbeat, depression, heart problems (even failure), high blood pressure, dizziness, tremors, diarrhea, and nervousness. Even "organic" diet pills are dangerous and, for the most part, unregulated.
If you still believe in these "short cuts" you should consult your doctor (especially if you are taking prescription drugs). If you insist on taking diet pills you will probably need to stay on them for a long time to maintain the desired results. Like any conventional diet, once you stop, the weight may return. Long term use of diet pills greatly increases your risk of permanent bodily damage. There is simply no substitute for a moderate balanced diet and exercise. Forget about the ingredients in foods and watch your calories. As I continue to argue, morbidly obese people need to have a balanced diet, exercise, and strongly consider bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery is for the morbidly obese. It is not the solution or a quick fix for weight loss. Rather, it is a powerful tool for the morbidly obese to finally obtain an ideal weight. Like any tool, it requires a balanced diet and exercise. There are two basic types of bariatric surgery performed today. There is the traditional Roux-en-y gastric bypass for the super morbidly obese that actually redirects food around the stomach. It is an invasive surgery. The more popular weight loss surgery is the "Lap-Band" or "Realize Band" that simply reduces the size of the stomach through an adjustable ring. It is performed laparoscopically and is much less invasive. Both of these bariatric surgeries have proven to be very successful for permanent weight-loss. There are pros and cons to both surgeries. You should find an experienced surgeon to find out if bariatric surgery is for you. If you do chose bariatric surgery, you will avoid nearly all of the organ damaging effects of diet pills. As with any successful weight-loss program, the common variable is lifelong balanced diet and a regular exercise program.
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