The Health Risks Associated With Diet Pills

The Health Risks Associated With Diet Pills

Sure, it'd be great if there were a quick, easy way to get thin. Pop a pill then go sit back down in front of the television and let the chemicals in the pill rid your body of fat and toxins. Sometimes, marketers and advertisers do such a good job at convincing the public of this possibility, that some pills become a household name. But ultimately, years later, many of these pills are found to cause great harm to our bodies.

Diet Pills and Health Risks - Ephedra

Unfortunately, it isn't required that diet pills be approved by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) before they hit the market. It isn't until the drug is suspected in being dangerous that the FDA will research the drug to decide if it is dangerous to the public or not. Many people don't know this. The average person purchases goods off a shelf believing that the government would not allow it to be obtained so easily if it wasn't at least first tested. This is also true for "natural" goods made from herbs and roots, some of these are also used for dieting. The public believes innately that such things can't be harmful because they sprung from the earth itself, and are still in original form, no chemical additives, but the truth is, there are some herbs and roots out there that are not safe for children in certain quantities, and are not safe for others with say, diabetes or heart conditions. It is always best to study these things before entering into a new diet routine blindly. Ephedra drew a wary eye when it was suspected in causing (at least partially) the death of a distinguished athlete.

Diet Pills and Health Risks - How Do They Work?

Diet pills can work in a number of different ways. Most of them are appetite suppressants, working with caffeine or a chemical called phenylpropanolamine to reduce hunger. While controlling hunger, they are also supposed to speed the metabolism, (burn fat). Still other diet pills are made to block the bodies absorption of fat. Of course, these can be dangerous because believe it or not, the body needs fat in some form, so it isn't necessarily advantageous to block all forms of fat absorption. Some say they work by expanding in a person's stomach to make them feel full, much like gastric surgery without the surgery. Still others claim to be a diuretic or laxative, which ultimately causes the body to lose precious minerals and water.

Diet Pills and Health Risks - Nasty Side Effects

One of the biggest problematic side effects of these diet pills is that they can be addictive. Other side effects may include:

-heart palpitations
-dizziness
-problems with the urinary tract
-high blood pressure
-anxiety/nervousness
-hyperactive/insomnia
-fever
-problems with the digestive tract such as stomach pain/diarrhea/vomiting
-headaches

Many of these risks come from overdosing, as people tend to want to see results fast, they might take more pills than they should. Reactions from overdosing might be breathing problems, kidney failure, convulsions, tremors, hallucinations and more. If any of these are experienced at any time after consuming diet pills, a doctor should be seen immediately. Diet pills and health risks need to be taken seriously.