Laura

Nutrition and Body 

Diet Pills

            Living in a judgmental society is not easy.  We live in a world full of media and a society that, unfortunately, judges you based upon what you look like.  Being thin is desirable to must young women in America.  Being thin is not easy to achieve and/or maintain.  Is there a quick and easy way to lose weight?  Some people might think so…diet pills! 

            Thirty-four percent of young women living in America are on or have tried diet pills.  Diet pills are not safe for anyone, and they are especially not safe for teenagers.  Teenagers are not supposed to take diet pills because diet pills suppress your appetite and in doing so the teenager may not be getting enough nutrition that they need.  The FDA proposed a warning label “For use by people 18 years of age and older.”

            Diet pills can affect anyone’s metabolism above or below the age of 18.  Since diet pills are made to suppress your appetite you eat less.  Most people would think that since you are not eating as much you will lose weight and to some extent that is true.  However, eventually your body will reach a point where it will not lose any more weight from diet pills.  Since you are consuming less calories your metabolism slows down which will lead to the amount of weight you lose to slow down.

            Diet pills are drugs.  You can get them over the counter or by prescription.  Most over the counter diet pills are not FDA approved.  This means that they are not safe to be taken by humans and/or they do not do what the product claims to do.  Often times the manufacture will put a label on the box and bottle to warn the consumer that they are taking a risk by consuming their product.  By putting a small label, that most people ignore or don’t see, on the box and bottle the manufacture is freeing themselves from any possible lawsuits regarding the product not working, illness, and even death! 

            Just like any other drug, diet pills are habit forming and can easily be abused.  Abuse may lead to dependence.  Even after becoming addicted to diet pills little or no weight will come off and be kept off for long amounts of time.

            The following can occur from taking diet pills:  nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, high blood pressure, fatigue and hyperactivity, heart arrhythmias and palpitations, congestive heart failure or heart attack, stroke, headaches, dry mouth, vomiting and diarrhea or constipation, intestinal disturbances, tightness in the chest, tingling in extremities, excessive perspiration, dizziness, disruption in menstrual cycle, change in your sex drive, hair loss, blurred vision, fever and  urinary tract problems.  If the consumer overdoses on the diet pills this can cause tremors, confusion, hallucinations, shallow breathing, renal failure, heart attack and convulsions (1is2fat.com). These are a lot of side effects.  It’s scary to think that one little pill could cause any one of these things to happen to you.

            Is there an easy way to loose weight? No, absolutely not.  For long term results eating healthy and exercise are both extremely important in achieving your desired weight and maintaining that weight for years.  There is no quick fix that lasts for years to come and that is safe.  You get out what you put in.