In short: Weight loss pills are not a lasting fix for your weight challenges. Sustainable health is built on long-term habits, not quick fixes.
“If changes are inevitable, then nothing is permanent. If nothing is permanent, then everything is temporary!”
Are we talking about long-lasting health? Then definitely, the above quote is relevant. Why and how? Let us discuss this further.
In this article, we will discuss weight loss drugs, their types, risks, and how long your weight loss pills and herbal powders work.
People are always attracted to quick fixes, and the current health industry has bombarded the public with weight loss pills (a quick fix to weight management), herbal tinctures, herbal powders, etc. Do they really work?
Types of quick fixes for your weight loss
The market has a lot of weight management products like:
- Herbal teas
- Herbal powders and tinctures
- Over-the-counter weight loss pills/powders/drinks (not prescribed)
- Weight loss medications with prescription (pharmacotherapy)
Do the regulatory boards approve these products?
Yes and no.
The above products are labelled as weight loss pills on the market shelves. They are labelled and marketed as drinks that can cut down or burn your fat. Lot of people are interested in quickly shedding their weight using these claims because it seems to be the easiest way to get rid of that extra flab.
So, do these products serve the purpose of weight management as they claim? Well, let me first explain to you the composition of these products. Most of the products have herbs, dietary fiber, minerals, and some pharmaceutical compounds.
Herbs are not regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) globally. Certain herbs are regulated by the Department of AYUSH in India. Whereas pharmaceutical compounds are regulated under the medical, food, and drug boards in India and worldwide to maintain standardization.
What are weight loss pills made of?
Herbs
Weight loss ingredients used in over-the-counter products are herbs like:
- Ephedra
- Green tea
- Garcinia
- Caffeine anhydrous and guarana
- Chitosan
- Aspirin and willow bark
The combination of Ephedra, caffeine, aspirin, and chitosan are also known as stacker pills. Caffeine and aspirin can enhance the effectiveness of the herb Ephedra (used in traditional Chinese medicine), which stimulates the central nervous system.
The central nervous system in turn, controls mental awareness, blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism, respiration, and other primary processes. The combination of stacker pills can increase your energy expenditure and reduce your appetite.
But once you discontinue the products, your metabolism can slow down and make you regain your weight very fast.
Also, keep in mind that some of the herbs (especially Ephedra) are banned in some countries due to their adverse long-term reactions and because there are very few clinical studies available on them.
Pharmaceutical compounds
- Naltrexone
- Phentermine
- Phentermine plus topiramate
- Orlistat
- Liraglutide
- Semaglutide
- Victoza
- Ozempic
Pharmaceutical compounds come under pharmacotherapy interventions and are regulated by the food and drug boards in many countries. These compounds are often used after a thorough diagnosis and investigation of the patient.
They come under prescription medicines and are only available as prescription drugs (pharmacotherapy interventions).
Most of these medicines are GLP-1 receptor agonists that are used to stimulate your body to make more insulin after meals.
GLP-1 receptor agonists are usually prescribed to people suffering from diabetes related obesity. These individuals, who usually have type 2 diabetes or obesity, have improper insulin secretion and need to be forcefully stimulated..
GLP-1 receptor agonists are also used during bariatric surgeries and in extreme cases of obesity. The most famous examples are Victoza and Ozempic, which have been used in smaller doses for many years in people suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Who can take the weight loss drugs?
Weight loss drugs are of two types. The ones that are available over the counter and the ones that are available only with a prescription.
It is always advisable to get a diagnosis and proper health care support before you dive into over-the-counter weight loss pills.
Because every individual is different, and their body reacts to each herb differently, the outcomes may vary from person to person.
Are prescription weight loss drugs safe to use in normal people?
This is questionable, as we need more clinical studies on this topic.
Side effects of weight loss drugs
The general side effects of weight loss drugs are:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Psychiatric symptoms
- Allergic reactions
- Abdominal pain
- Hair loss
- Palpitations
Long-term risks of weight loss drugs
Prescription weight loss pills are usually taken with caution in smaller doses with proper medical guidance. The dosage is monitored regularly based on personal history.
There are a few long-term risks with weight loss drugs like pulmonary hypertension (with aminorex), stroke (with phenylpropalomine), suicidal ideation (with rimonabant), cardiac valvulopathy (with fenfluramine), and myocardial infarction and stroke (with sibutramine).
Discuss with your health care expert and find out the risks with the prescription weight loss drug that you are being put on.
Do not take over-the-counter weight loss pills without considering the license and regulations. Always check the labels and ingredients to see what the product claims.
The labels can be misleading as they come with numerous titles using the words - detox, fat burner, low calorie shakes, fiber drinks, protein drinks, etc. Seek professional help and find out the long-term risks of these products.
Drug safety assessments are conducted by the food and drug regulatory boards. The long-term safety outcomes are concluded only after potential clinical trials are done on a larger scale and for a longer period (both prospective and retrospective studies can be done).
Do weight loss pills work?
Weight loss pills are considered a short-term intervention. These pills yield results but for a shorter duration. People lose 3%-5% of their weight using herbal pills in a couple of months, while they lose 5%-12% of their weight in a year with prescription drugs (with a good diet and exercise).
Once you stop taking these products, you regain all the weight that you have lost. Weight loss also comes with adverse reactions in individuals, like the risks and long-term consequences involved.
What is the ideal way to consume weight loss pills?
The ideal ways to consume weight loss products are:
- To get a medical diagnosis before you start the journey.
- To assess what kind of drugs are suitable for your body.
- Always seek professional support to stay aware of over-the-counter pills.
- To discontinue in case of extreme side effects and allergies.
- To always maintain a healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise along with the pills.
Takeaway
Weight loss pills are not a permanent solution to your weight struggles. Change is inevitable; however, we can manage our health with a disciplined routine. As a nutritionist, weight loss pills are not the ONLY ideal solution. Nothing beats consistency and discipline concerning your health.
Weight loss is not easy, but it is also not so hard if one maintains a consistent lifestyle. Weight loss pills are a quick fix, and they are essential only in cases where the individual is assessed with a medical condition. If you opt to take up weight loss drugs, it is often advisable to maintain a healthy diet and exercise along with the weight loss drugs/herbal teas/powders, etc. Weight loss drugs alone would not be able to bring a long-lasting outcome.
References
The above information is thoroughly investigated with the help of the following papers:
- Diet Pills: Fat-Burning or Risk-Taking? (University of Colorado Hospital) https://www.ucdenver.edu/docs/librariesprovider65/clinical-services/sports-medicine/diet-pills.pdf
- Availability and composition of weight-loss supplements in Sri Lanka (Jayawardena et al., 2020) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1747-0080.12501
- Understanding new weight loss drugs – Harvard health Understanding New Weight-Loss Drugs - Harvard Health https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-new-weight-loss-drugs
- Prescription weight loss drugs – can they help you? Prescription Weight-Loss Drugs: Can They Help You? - Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss-drugs/art-20044832
- Dietary supplements for weight loss- health professional fact sheet Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss - Health Professional Fact Sheet https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WeightLoss-HealthProfessional
- Long-term efficacy and safety of anti-obesity treatment: Where do we stand Tak & Lee (2021) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33410104
