Dangers of Diet Pills

From LoveToKnow Diet

Dangers of diet pills stem from the use of drugs, chemicals or herbs to stop or decrease the natural desire to eat or change your metabolism. When the natural functions of the body are altered, the possibility of side effects have to be expected.

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Dangers of Diet Pills in the 1930s

Physicians have expressed concerns regarding the dangers of diet pills since their inception. As early as 1934, doctors worried that 100,000 people had likely taken the chemical dinitrophenal (DNP). This chemical accelerated metabolism, and the physicians’ concern centered on the fact that the general public was taking more than the recommended amount of DNP as an ingredient in weight loss medicines.

At least two deaths due to fatally high fevers possibly related to overdoses of DNP fueled their apprehension. After the deaths were investigated by the United States Office of Drug Control, a link between the fevers and drug was established. This same investigation identified associations between DNP and other physical damage such as blindness. These findings led to the removal of DNP as a medicine from the market four years later.

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Diet Pills to Decrease Appetite

The goal of diet pills is to decrease appetite and lose weight. Amphetamines were introduced by scientists in the 1950s as an appetite deterrent. But negative side effects included racing heart rates, mood swings, persistent insomnia and potential addiction.

By the 1990s, the overweight public still sought a magic cure to their weight problem. When the diet pill fen-phen was discovered, it shot to the top of the weight loss solution possibilities list. Physicians prescribed the pill for obese patients while critics sited problems with the drug.

Based on animal studies, opponents of the drug argued that it could be linked to primary pulmonary hypertension a deadly lung disorder that can lead to heart failure. Yet, in 1996 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug for the treatment of obesity. The following year the doctors from the Mayo Clinic reported unusual heart valve trouble in women taking fen-phen. The documented association with life-threatening heart disease prompted the removal of the diet pill from the market a month later.

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Natural Diet Pill Alternatives

With all the health risks associated with prescription weight loss drugs, researchers sought an alternative approach to losing those unwanted pounds with the use of dietary supplements created from herbs. Over the counter drugs containing ephedra gained popularity in the 1990s because it not only helped people lose weight, but also increased energy. The stimulants found in ephedra successfully decreased appetite and improved mental alertness, but were found to raise blood pressure and heart rate.

The FDA proposed ephedra product labels carry a warning limiting use to no more than seven days, but in 2003, ephedra was implicated in the death of 23-year-old Steve Bechler, an up-and-coming pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Later that year, the FDA announced that proven side effects were connected to serious health problems, including heart attacks and strokes. By April of 2004, the sale of dietary supplements with ephedra were banned.

One of the latest natural alternatives in the weight loss supplement market are products containing the South African Hoodia. Whether or not it is really safe will be proven over time.

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Should You Take Diet Pills?

When deciding if or what diet pills to take, consider the track record highlighting the dangers of diet pills. Diet pills can help lose weight, but they are not the ultimate solution. No matter what diet pill you try, remember that long-term effects are not always known. Drug companies continue to develop fat-blocking diet pills, pills to increase metabolism and pills to cut appetite. The $30-$50 billion a year weight loss market drives research to find the safe diet pill, while consumers look for the quick fix to rid them of excess weight. Before taking a diet pill, remember that if you want to attain long-term weight loss, diet pills alone are not the answer.

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What really works:

When designing a diet plan that works for you, weigh the side effects and dangers of diet pills to the more traditional methods that promote better health and weight loss.

No matter what weight loss plan you choose, it must be incorporated as a lifestyle change if you want to see lasting results. If you revert to the food choices and eating patterns that put weight on in the first place, you’ll gain back the pounds lost and possibly even more weight. It is better to avoid this yo-yo dieting and make lasting changes that incorporate the following: