In the mad rush to lose weight, some people ignore common sense even though we've been told again and again that it takes time, discipline, and commitment to create a better body. This explains the appeal of over-the-counter diet pills that offer shortcuts to a new you.
Diet pills are available at the local drugstore, supermarket or health food store and many can be purchased online. But are these products safe and effective? Your friend, neighbor or favorite celebrity will probably tell you they are, after all they're using the product themselves.
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However, bear in mind that these products are sold as supplements not drugs. As such, manufacturers don't have to prove anything or pass government standards of safety and efficacy. This means they are free to make extravagant claims often at the expense of the consumer.
"Dietary supplements and weight-loss aids aren't subject to the same rigorous standards as are prescription drugs or medications sold over-the-counter. Thus, they can be marketed with limited proof of effectiveness or safety. Vendors can make health claims about products based on their own review and interpretation of studies without the authorization of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the FDA can pull a product off the market if it's proved dangerous," according to the MayoClinic.com.
Sadly, when a product is pulled off the shelves, it is often too late. Take the case of Singaporean actress Andrea de Cruz whose story was reported in Time magazine:
"By a mother's standards, Andrea De Cruz didn't need to lose weight. But show business imposes strict requirements on appearance, and when the dial on the Singaporean TV actress's bathroom scales spun to more than 48 kilos, De Cruz started taking a Chinese diet pill named Slim 10 that she purchased from a colleague. Two months later, De Cruz, 28, was near death, unconscious in a hospital in Singapore," said Lisa Takeuchi Cullen in her story "Asia's Killer Diet Pills."
To survive, De Cruz underwent an emergency liver transplant. Today, she is still living although she needs immunosuppressants that leave her weak and vulnerable to other illnesses. But not everyone who takes over-the-counter diet pills are as "lucky."
"Nobody knows how many are buying untested products of dubious efficacy - certainly consumers number in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. At their most harmless, the products are a waste of time, money and good intentions. Some, however, are proving to be deadly. Over the past two years, seven women in Japan, Singapore and China have died due to the toxicity of the substances they ingested in the hope of shedding offending kilograms. From differing ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds and ranging in age from 16 to 60, the women had one thing in common: like De Cruz, they were all taking Chinese-made diet pills containing a variant of fenfluramine, an appetite suppressant that has been banned in the U.S. since 1997 for damaging heart valves. Doctors and health officials in Asia now believe the newer compound, called N-nitroso fenfluramine, can cause liver failure," Cullen added.
There are no shortcuts to losing weight. To achieve your desired goal, you have to exercise, eat smaller portions, and plan your meals carefully to include healthy food choices that have fewer calories. If you're tempted to try diet pills, read the labels carefully. One safe brand that will help you lose weight without side effects is Zylorin - a product that speeds up your metabolism, curbs your appetite, helps control sugar levels, and gives you the energy you need to do what you want. For more information, visit http://www.zylorin.com.
Deadly Chinese Diet Pills
Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author.
Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine [http://www.thearticleinsiders.com]