Who doesn’t want to lose weight by popping a few pills? Hectic schedules which leave no time for exercise, increase in consumption of unhealthy junk food, stressful lives resulting in lack of sleep – all lead to weight gain, making ‘diet pills’ a desired product.
Priyanka Verma, nutritionist at Portea Medical says, “Diet pills are popular among those looking for faster results or who have been struggling to shed kilos. These medications and supplements contain substances touted to boost metabolism, burn fat, control sugar cravings, suppress your appetite and increase energy.”
Some of the active natural and chemical substances in these pills include caffeine, ephedra, sibutramine, capsaicin, conjugated linoleic acid, diuretics, fibre, green tea extract and Garcinia Cambogia.
These pills work either by reducing your appetite by making you feel more full so that you consume fewer calories, or by reducing fat absorption which make you take in fewer calories or by increasing your body’s ability to burn fat, making you burn more calories.
These substances are categorised based on their main active ingredient and mechanism of action. They can be differentiated into stimulants, lipase inhibitors, and appetite suppressants. Tanu Arora, HOD, clinical nutrition and dietetics, Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, explains, “Appetite suppressant drugs like sibutramine control the functionality of brain and affect the appetite-regulating region of the brain called the hypothalamus. Then there are fat blocking drugs which work on the principle that they inhibit the action of an enzyme called lipase.
This enzyme is responsible for breaking down the fat when it gets to the intestinal tract. Fats inhibitors like orlistat stop the lipase from working on the food, so that the fat isn’t absorbed and gets removed via bowel movements.”
Fat burners increase the rate at which the body breaks down the fat so that they don’t have chance to be stored in body. Stimulants include caffeine and aspirin. Aneeka Bagga, senior clinical dietician, Adiva Hospitals, Green Park, New Delhi, adds, “Then there are diuretics, which flushes fluid from the body tissues, giving the impression of weight loss, though they have temporary results, whereas fat remains the same.”
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IF IT’S too good to be true, it probably is. And that’s the case with all these magical weight losing techniques. Nikita Gulati, nutritionist on Lybrate, says, “Appetite suppressants trick the brain into believing that you aren’t hungry by increasing the levels of the ‘feel-good’ hormone, serotonin. This hormone is responsible for regulating your mood, appetite and sleep patterns. Long-term use of these drugs is linked to a type of high blood pressure called secondary hypertension.”
Symptoms include fainting, chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeat, edema, numbness, rash or hives, severe headache, breathing issues, painful urination, sore throat with fever and unusual bleeding or bruising. Appetite suppressants can also lead to psychological changes in people who become dependent, doctors warn. These suppressants could also cause mouth dryness, increased risk of tooth decay, gum disease and fungal infections.
In extreme cases, harmful effects can be permanent and even lead to death. Ingredients in most diet pills can increase risk of heart attack and stroke, cause respiratory failure, kidney problems, liver damage and rectal bleeding. They can also lead to addiction, mood swings and insomnia.
Tanu Arora, HOD, clinical nutrition and dietetics, Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, adds, “A common side-effect is malabsorption of fat soluble vitamins which causes their deficiencies.”
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Dr Aruna Kalra, gynaecologist and obstetrics surgeon, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, warns, “Limit your intake of dietary fat when taking orlistat to minimise side-effects, people taking lorcaserin should have their heart rate checked. Naltrexone can raise heart rate and blood pressure and may increase the risk of seizures, while bupropion can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts. Phentermine also has the potential for drug abuse.”
Diet pills should never be taken by someone below the age of 16. One should always consult a dietician, who will chalk out a diet plan catering to your health needs.
Have at least five different varieties of fruits and vegetables in day, control your portion size and control the excessive consumption of fats.