Weight Loss Resolution for 2009? FDA Cites Contaminated (or Counterfeit?) Weight Loss Drugs
Whoa. This is dangerous stuff.
Yes. 99% of us plan to drop poundage in 2009. (Most of us made that same plan in 2008, 2007, and so forth... but I digress....)
And yes. No doubt there will be thousands who rely on some sort of weight-loss supplement. You know, those drugs with skinny-sounding names that parade in front of our couch-potato eyes as we watch TV this time of year, or sound so enticing when we search for some magic bullet online to help us in our quest toward slim-dom.
The problem is, a host of 28 or more dangerous weight loss pills have flooded the market. They aren't being watched by the FDA because they are considered natural or herbal, and therefore come under the category of dietary supplements. The FDA doesn't keep an eye on dietary supplements. However, because they are contaminated and potentially counterfeit, the FDA is warning us about them.
The problem is that they contain dangerous ingredients that will either make you sick, or even cause your death, as patients in Europe learned -- the hard way.
I've put together an overview of what ingredients these so-called natural weight loss drugs contain, why they are dangerous, and a list of their names for you.
Please stay away from these contaminated weight loss drugs. No sense in trying to lose weight dangerously only to cause even worse problems for yourself.
And that's my New Year Resolution suggestion for empowered patients, extra poundage and all.
"I'm good at losing weight. It just keeps finding me again."
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Photo © iStockphoto.com/milosluz
Comments
you say you trust the fda. is this the same fda who has just said it is okay for pregnant woman to be eating salmon which if you read various sources about high mercury levels in said fish
William. Thanks for weighing in (so to speak.)
I think you may have misunderstood — I in no way trust the FDA to keep contaminated drugs out of our supply. In fact, both in this post, plus the article that goes with it, I make it very clear that the FDA isn’t keeping an eye on any kinds of supplements. The FDA doesn’t monitor supplements at all in terms of their safety — except — as in this case, they may be counterfeit. The FDA does oversee counterfeit drugs in the legal drug supply.
The FDA doesn’t keep up with the problems of counterfeit drugs — but when it does identify them, we know the identification is accurate. So in this case, I “trust” that the list of counterfeit weight loss drugs is, indeed, a good warning.
Trisha
There is one thing that hasn’t been said so far in these comments. While any weight loss pill may help in weight loss, the real issue is the people who use these pills. If these people were to take a good hard look at themselves the answer to their weight problem will be found. They are eating an unhealthy diet and they get little to no exercise everyday. If they changed their eating habits to a healthier level, cut back on calories, to a healthy level, and got off the couch to exercise than there would be no need for those diet pills.
RE: Denise
That’s sometimes true, sometimes not. There are in fact people who are overweight because their bodies don’t process food correctly. Thyroid conditions are a common cause of this.
I agree that many or possibly most overweight people eat too much. But there are those that are overweight for other reasons. And eating too little can be as “unhealthy” as eating too much.
And exercise is a really good thing, and will mitigate many causes of being overweight, even if they are biological.
it is estimated that 5-11% of women in the US have polycystic ovarian syndrome. With this syndrome, about 40% of the women are overweight due to hormone imbalances. It is next to impossible to lose this weight without being properly medicated for the condition in the first place. so- this may be a small number- but it is another example of people who are not fat because they just eat too much. I was one of those people- and i got on my meds, (after being diagnosed) and lost 35lbs almost without effort… because i was already trying to be fairly healthy. Before i got helped with my condition, i did look into diet pills- but they were too expensive, and i did enough research to know that most of them don’t work- but when people feel like there’s nothing that helps lose the weight… that’s one place to go.
Why don’t they monitor “natural” and “herbal” things? Not everything natural is good. Marijuana is natural, tobacco is natural, arsenic is natural. It’s possible that even genuine herbal weight-loss dietary supplements wouldn’t be exactly great for you.
While it may be true that there are people or conditions that require medication, it remains a sad truth that most people who take medication to lose weight are doing so because the want a fast easy solution to their problems. Why is that?
It seems to be an epidemic in our society, we want the quick fix. We all know that the quick fix is not usually the best fix in the long run, but we don’t seem to care.
The FDA doesn’t have the peoples best interest in mind. Follow the money is what I’ve always been told.
Permanent weight loss is not easy and usually not quick. It is one of the most cited New Year’s resolutions and sadly one of the quickest to break.