At some point in their lives, most women find that they need to diet and/or exercise to lose a few excess pounds.
For some women, however, diet and exercise is not as effective as they had hoped, especially if they have gained tremendous amounts of weight.
Being obese makes exercise almost impossible and sometimes even dangerous. Cutting back on calories can be done, but it leaves some women fatigued, angry, irritable, and frequently gives them “brain fog”.
This can lead women to fall into dieting “traps”, such as bulimia or dangerous eating habits or trends, such as colonics, taking lots of laxatives, exercising to excess, or binge-eating.
This is where doctors and diet pills can help. They certainly aren’t for every woman and none of them will cause you to drop pounds like magic, but for some women, these can, quite literally, be lifesavers. However, you need to start with research.
What types of diet pills exist? Should you take them to lose weight? Are they safe and effective? Let’s find out!
Prescription Products
There are currently only two types of prescription diet pills which the FDA has approved; appetite suppressants and fat blockers.
Appetite Suppressants
- Adipex or Belviq – These phentermine based pills help to suppress the appetite and, over time, actually make food appear less appealing (mentally). Phentermine has been used for many years and was half of the Phen-Fen diet pill that women relied on for years. Unfortunately, it was discovered that Phen-Fen caused heart valve defects for many women who took this drug mixture.
Phentermine is only effective for approximately 6 to 12 months, however, before the body builds a resistance to it. These types of appetite suppressants are only meant to help women jump start a weight loss program and are not intended to be taken for years. You should speak to your doctor before taking these (or any) types of medications as some women have reported rapid heartbeats and nervous feelings.
Fat Blockers
- Xenical or Alli – These pills do what the name implies; they bind with the fat in the food you eat, preventing your body from absorbing it. These chemicals stop approximately 25 percent of the fat you consume, which means fewer calories are being absorbed by your digestive tract. While this sounds like a great idea, these pills tend to have very annoying side effects, especially if you forget and eat a high fat meal. Side effects include stomach pain, cramps, excessive amounts of gas, oily stools, and, perhaps worst of all, anal incontinence. These pills also tell your body that you are full, even though you haven’t eaten very much. Fat blockers only work for about 6 months, but like appetite suppressants, they can be a great way to help women adjust to a new way of eating.
Non-Prescription Weight Loss Pills
Women should be very wary of any over the counter supplement which makes claims that are hard to believe. Pills that say you will burn fat while you sleep or that you can lose 100 pounds in two weeks probably contain dangerous ingredients and should be avoided.
One internet rumor says that one manufacturer put tapeworm eggs in their pills, which would certainly make them effective but consider the consequences!
Some dietary supplements, such as natural fat burners and appetite suppressant clearly spell out their herbal ingredients, which are all designed to increase the metabolism and cut the appetite, however, as with any supplement, you should always consult with your doctor to ensure that you’re in good health and that these ingredients are safe for you and your particular situation.
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