Thursday, May 10, 2007

Diet Pills: A Lot Of Risk For A Little Loss

There are a number of diet pills - both prescription and non-prescription - which claim to be effective weight loss aids. Many of diet pills have been associated with serious medical risks, including heart attack, heart abnormalities, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death. The side effects can be daunting, but how realistic are they?

Diet pills fall into several different classes. Most are appetite suppressants of one kind or another, generally stimulants with effects similar to those of amphetamine. The diet pills approved for treatment of obesity, where it's considered that the health risks associated with gross overweight outweigh the risks associated with the medication.

For someone who has less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are far less cut-and-dried. While the FDA and manufacturers closely monitor the effects of prescription diet pills, over the counter medications and their risks are far less well-documented. They're even less well-documented for herbal preparations, especially those whose makers don't officially make weight loss claims for them.

While makers of pharmaceuticals must meet stringent labeling requirements and tests for safety and effectiveness, those who make diet pills are not regulated in the same way. As long as they don't contain a 'new' ingredient, or one that has never been marketed for weight loss purposes, they are not subject to FDA review. Instead, the manufacturer is held responsible for the safety and effectiveness of their products. Often, that means diet pills has unregulated dosages, unhealthy additives and ineffective ingredients.

In an effort to encourage improvement in the reporting standards and the pharmaceutical standards for diet medications, the United States Pharmacopoeia has introduced the Comprehensive Dietary Supplement Verification Program.
Currently voluntary, it involves certification by the USP of certain labeling and practice standards, including that the product contains the ingredients stated on the label in the strength declared, that they are within limits for impurities like metals, pesticides and bacteria, that the medication will be absorbed by the body according to USP criteria, and that it has been created with all safe precautions.
So, be carefull with your decission using diet pills. Find some tips to lessen the risks associated with using diet pills in categories "diet tips".

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