What are the positive and negatives?

Positives Of Weight Loss Products

• The British NHS reports after one year of clinical trials that one third to half of patients saw reductions on body fat percentage.
• They are particularly useful for patients who are morbidly obese and are unable to undertake an exercise program.
• They have been linked to a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes - but this is further linked to the fat percentage being lower and the people being generally healthier.
• Improved cardiovascular health due to being able to perform more aerobic exercises and becoming fitter.
• Increased energy - many of the pills have energy boosting vitamins and ingredients and this can help a person feel more energetic and more active.
• Suppression of appetite is a common positive among many products as this can help a person lower their calorie intake per day.
• Breaks down fat - some products actually do increase fat breakdown and lower fat absorption.

Negatives Of Weight Loss Products

• Fat blockers that stop fat absorption have many side effects such as oily stools, gastro-intestinal problems such as pain and discomfort.
• Appetite suppressant chemicals have been associated with addiction in such as way as is similar to amphetamines. These shouldn't be used for long periods of time and cannot be a long term solution.
• Increased risk of heart complications and stroke.
• Dizziness, fainting and decreased blood pressure has been linked to some weight loss products.
• Or even high blood pressure because of the dehydrating effect.
• Risk of other medical complications because of the mixture of chemicals that can be found in ones not prescribed by a doctor.
• Insomnia, nervousness, vomiting, blurred vision and headaches are linked to appetite suppressants.

Should You Take Them?

Whether or not you should take them has to be a personal choice but the best bit of advice is to seek medical advice before you start to take anything. This is because if you are overweight there may be other underlying health complications that you may not be aware of and adding an artificial pill to your diet could cause them to show side effects. Many of the products are safe and you need to make sure you check they are FDA approved and that they have all the relevant ingredients and nutritional information on the bottles and websites - if you are suspicious it is best to avoid them because it is your health that is most important.

See Also: Probiotics For Weight Loss?

If you are considering using a weight loss supplement make an appointment with your doctor because they may be able to prescribe a product that is most suited to you and it may be a cheaper way to get the same as you would buy from a website. Always weigh up the pros and cons before you make a decision. There are some great products available, but also some dodgy ones.