What Are Some Good Weight Loss Pills?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "more than one-third of adults, or over 72 million people, were obese in 2005--2006." Not surprisingly, Americans, who have a penchant for fatty fast foods, also demand quick solutions to weight loss in the form of diet pills.

Background

Everywhere we look, we are bombarded by diet pill ads. Billboards, the Internet, late-night television infomercials--all of them promising to be the newest and the best product. And it seems that any promise is enough for those suffering from being overweight, those who are tired of feeling out of place, tired and unattractive. Trying to discern which diet pills may work and which have no weight reduction valuable whatsoever is a difficult task.

On the Mayo Clinic website, several over-the-counter diet pills and supplements are examined, and most are labeled as "relatively safe, but unlikely to cause weight loss." Only one compound, country mallow, was listed as effective as an appetite suppressant, yet it came with an unsafe warning as it contains the banned substance ephedra.

Alli

Orlistat, also known as tetrahydrolipstatin, is a prescription drug designed to treat obesity by not allowing fats to be absorbed into the system. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and has been proved to be "moderately" effective. In 2007, the FDA approved a modified, nonprescription version of Orlistat called Alli, becoming the first government sanctioned over-the-counter diet pill. Although touted by its maker as the perfect diet pill, it does not come without potentially serious side effects, including gastrointestinal problems, loose stools and urgent bowel movements.

Over-the-Counter Pills

Brand names such as Liporexall, Phenphedrine, Lipovox Hardcore Detox, LipoFuze and Nuphedragen are all diet supplements whose makers claim to be the best choice for rapid weight loss by appetite suppression or metabolism boosting. Even though the FDA has not banned these products, it does not regulate them and quality and purity is always a concern.

Emotional Dependence

Diet pills can be risky due to physical side effects, but emotional dependency is not often mentioned. When considering that a person who has struggled for years trying to slim down, even a slight drop in weight can have a substantial mental impact. An initial success can make a person believe it was purely due to the diet pill, when actually other factors may have been responsible.

Exercise

There is no debate that if you burn more calories than you take in, you will loose weight. Professional athletes, avid runners and exercise proponents all attest to this fact. Rather than take the risk, and substantial expense, of using diet pills, proper exercise is the preferred method to loose weight. Simply walking briskly three days per week for at least thirty minutes and eating a well-balanced diet, will likely promote weight loss in a safer and faster way than any diet pill can offer.