Do Those Weight-Loss Pills Really Work?

We've all seen the ads. First, there are all these people in swimsuits telling us how they lost such-and-such amount of pounds just by taking a pill. Then, there are the ones that look like a bad infomercial.  There are the ones where a pencil-drawn woman is complaining about how her husband lost more weight than her and needs something just for women. The commercials all look nice, but do weight loss pills really work? I'm not talking about the prescription drugs that are only given to people with a good bit to lose; I'll talk about that in another post. I'm talking about the ones sold on TV and at health-food stores that claim they can give you a body like Heidi Klum with just the pop of a pill. Do they work? More importantly, are they safe?

Here's one thing that should raise a red flag-the vast majority of the diet aids you see on TV and in stores are sold as 'dietary supplements'. For this reason, they are not subject to the rigorous FDA testing prescription products are and do not have to disclose the ingredients or risks. There is nothing keeping them from exaggerating or flat-out lying about their effectiveness. Bans may be issued on certain ingredients later, such as the ban on ephedra, but that was only after more than 16,000 cases of adverse effects, including deaths. If it were tested by the FDA before going on the market the way prescription and some over-the-counter drugs are, the risks may have been made known ahead of time. To their credit, though, most of the ads and packages do tell you the FDA hasn't been involved.

Here's another thing-'herbal' does not necessarily mean 'safe'. You still would want to talk to your doctor first to see if whatever supplement would interact with other things you're taking or would exacerbate any conditions you may have.

At this time, Alli is the only is the only over-the-counter weight-loss aid that has been approved by the FDA. You've probably seen the ads on TV and walked past the displays in the drug store. A low-dose version of the prescription drug Xenical, Alli keeps some of the fat you eat from being absorbed. Essentially, the fat moves straight through your intestines and comes out the other end. It is meant to be used alongside of a larger dietary change because any weight loss it causes is minimal and the side effects can be pretty awful. If fact, there have been instances of what can delicately be called 'anal leakage' if someone eats too much fat. Thanks, but no thanks.

I'm not going to go into too much more detail here, but the basic 'verdict' is that most weight-loss supplements you see advertised aren't evaluated by the FDA and may not be anywhere near as effective as they say they are. They might say, 'diet and exercise recommended' on the ads, but it is in very fine print. Even Alli, the one over-the-counter weight loss pill that has been approved, would only be effective if it were used in addition to a larger lifestyle change. There is no 'magic pill' that will burn our fat or make us thinner without our having to do anything; an ongoing lifestyle change involving diet and exercise is really the only safe and proven way to lose weight and keep it off.