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Facts about Weight Loss (FDA)
Part 2
In Search of the "Magic Bullet"
Some dieters' peg their hopes
on pills and capsules that promise to "burn," "block," "flush,"
or otherwise eliminate fat from the system.
But science has yet to come
up with a low-risk "magic bullet" for weight loss. Some pills
may help control the appetite, but they can have serious side
effects. (Amphetamines, for instance, are highly addictive
and can have an adverse impact on the heart and central nervous
system.) Other pills are utterly worthless.
The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) and a number of state Attorney General have successfully
brought cases against marketers of pills claiming to absorb
or burn fat.
The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has banned 111 ingredients once found in over-the-counter
diet products.
None of these substances, which
include alcohol, caffeine, dextrose, and guar gum, have proved
effective in weight-loss or appetite suppression.
Beware of the following products
that are touted as weight-loss wonders:
- Diet patches, which are worn
on the skin, have not been proven to be safe or effective.
The FDA has seized millions of these products from manufacturers
and promoters.
- Fat blockers, purport to physically
absorb fat and mechanically interfere with the fat a person
eats.
- Starch blockers promise to block
or impede starch digestion. Not only is the claim unproven,
but users have complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
and stomach pains.
- Magnet diet pills allegedly "flush
fat out of the body." The FTC has brought legal action
against several marketers of these pills. Glucomannan
is advertised as the "Weight Loss Secret That's Been
in the Orient for Over 500 Years." There is little evidence
supporting this plant root's effectiveness as a weight-loss
product.
- Some bulk producers or fillers,
such as fiber-based products, may absorb liquid and swell
in the stomach, thereby reducing hunger.
- Some filler, such as guar gum,
can even prove harmful, causing obstructions in the intestines,
stomach, or esophagus. The FDA has taken legal action
against several promoters containing guar gum.
- Spirulina, a species of blue-green
algae, has not been proven effective for losing weight.
Phony Devices and Gadgets
Phony weight-loss devices range
from those that are simply ineffective to those that are truly
dangerous to your health.
At minimum, they are a waste
of your hard-earned money.
Some of the fraudulent
gadgets that have been marketed to hopeful dieters over the
years include:
Electrical muscle stimulators
have legitimate use in physical therapy treatment.
But the FDA has taken a number
of them off the market because they were promoted for weight
loss and body toning. When used incorrectly, muscle stimulators
can be dangerous, causing electrical shocks and burns.
Appetite suppressing eyeglasses
are common eyeglasses with colored lenses that claim to project
an image to the retina which dampens the desire to eat. There
is no evidence these work.
Magic weight-loss earrings
and devices custom-fitted to the purchaser's ear that purport
to stimulate acupuncture points controlling hunger have not
been proven effective.
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