Diet Pills: Are They Safe?

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By Terrie Johnson| UAB Community Health & Human Services Intern

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Regarding losing weight, nutritionists and physical therapists usually recommend sustained periods of healthy eating and exercising. Notably, such activities require patience, discipline, and hard work. However, many people are unwilling to stay committed to the course. Instead, some individuals purchase unauthorized and unapproved slimming pills online, swayed by the “miracle” of quick weight loss. Nevertheless, these diet pills are unsafe and contain dangerous components. Although diet pills are unsafe, the desperation to lose weight makes people become reckless and risk their lives by taking the medications.

Diet pills cause more harm than good. Many weight loss pills have contaminated ingredients, are dangerous, and result in health complications. For example, in recent years, investigations into many weight loss products sold in the United States have found that they contain antidepressants, seizure medications, and laxatives. In addition, some slimming pills contain sibutramine, a stimulant that equally acts as an appetite suppressant. Dedov et al. (2018) reveal that sibutramine affected people’s blood pressure and did not help individuals to lose weight. In addition, fluoxetine is a prescription antidepressant; however, it is a key component in some slimming pills. Overall, the medications are dangerous and rarely work.

Although some people may still use diet pills regardless of their risks, the safest methods for losing weight include eating healthily and exercising. Consuming a high-fiber diet, eating fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water, avoiding unhealthy foods, and reducing alcohol intake can help one reduce weight (Miketinas et al., 2019). In addition, being active and exercising enables one to burn many calories, thereby reducing weight. Generally, eating healthily and exercising allow one to lose weight safely.

In summary, diet pills have become popular since they promise miraculous weight loss; however, they are unsafe. Most slimming pills are not approved by the FDA and contain dangerous ingredients. The only safe strategies for losing weight include healthy eating and exercising. People must not look for the easy way to lose weight but should put in the hard work and discipline.

References

Dedov, I. I., Melnichenko, G. A., Troshina, E. A., Mazurina, N. V., & Galieva, M. O. (2018). Body weight reduction associated with the sibutramine treatment: Overall results of the PRIMAVERA Primary Health Care Trial. Obesity Facts, 11(4), 335-343. https://doi.org/ 10.1159/000488880.

Miketinas, D. C., Bray, G. A., Beyl, R. A., Ryan, D. H., Sacks, F. M., & Champagne, C. M. (2019). Fiber intake predicts weight loss and dietary adherence in adults consuming calorie-restricted diets: the POUNDS lost (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) study. The Journal of Nutrition, 149(10), 1742-1748. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxz117.

The Washington Post. (2019). The trouble with diet pills. They don’t work, and they can be unsafe. (Online Image). Health & Science. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-trouble-with-diet-pills-they-dont-work-and-they-can-be-unsafe/2015/02/02/d3995022-7f1f-11e4-8882-03cf08410beb_story.html

Does the Keto Diet Work?

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Amanda Benko | Intern UAB School of Education – CHHS

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The Ketogenic diet, typically known as the Keto diet, is a high-fat, sufficient-protein, and very minimal-carbohydrate diet. The diet works by imitating the metabolism of someone who is fasting to instigate the production of ketone (Zhu et al., 2022). Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of the keto diet to determine whether the diet works or not.

The Keto diet works since it encompasses an individual restricting dietary carbohydrate, which is the body’s primary source of energy. This forces the body to break down stored fat and creates ketone bodies to use in place of carbohydrates (Dowis & Banga, 2021). The loss of body weight occurs since the body breaks down the body fats and also leads to loss of water weight when the carbohydrate diet is restricted. Nevertheless, the diet works only in the short term and is unreliable for long-term effects since restrictive diets such as keto can be challenging to keep up with. When a person discontinues the diet, there is a high probability that they may have an increase in weight. The Keto diet might also not work because when a person overeats fats and proteins, their total calories are beyond what the body can burn, meaning they may not lose weight.

The Keto diet can have health benefits for people who have chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease. The diet can also be beneficial for people with particularly hard-to-treat kinds of epilepsy. Dowis & Banga (2021) affirm that the diet can also help to prevent degenerative and chronic diseases. However, people with these medical conditions should seek consultation with a physician before taking part in the Keto diet.

The keto diet involves restricting carbohydrate intake and consuming more fats and adequate proteins. The diet helps to lose weight but only in the short term. The diet is also advantageous for individuals with chronic health diseases, but they need to participate in the diet with the consultation of a physician. People I know have had great results, but like any lifestyle change, research, and when in doubt, consult a physician.

References:

Dowis, K., & Banga, S. (2021). The potential health benefits of the ketogenic diet: A narrative review. Nutrients, 13(5), 1654. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/5/1654

Zhu, H., Bi, D., Zhang, Y., Kong, C., Du, J., Wu, X., … & Qin, H. (2022). Ketogenic diet for human diseases: the underlying mechanisms and potential for clinical implementations. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 7(1), 11. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-021-00831-w