Posted on May 05, 2015 by Jenny Cromack
Should I take diet pills? Can diet pills help you lose fat? What diet pills do you recommend?
These are common questions I’m asked every week and it makes me cringe every time I’m asked. Some businesses within the fitness industry likes to promote these quick fix solutions, in the hope of making quick sales from desperate individuals (which really does not have a positive image for our industry but that is a different subject!).
It’s become so serious now that individuals have died from the consumption of certain products. There was an interesting article published this morning in the Telegraph, reporting on how a world health alert has been issued against a dangerous diet drug that killed a Birtish student.
Now, I don’t want to get in trouble from any of these companies that push these diet pills, and I won’t deny that some are effective for fat loss. There are thousands of them in fact, a google search raised over 16 million results! However you’ve got to ask yourself why put your body through a process that on a chemical level aims to do one of the following:
- “Stop fat absorption”
- “Control Your Metabolism”
- “Block Calories from carbohydrates”
- “Suppresses your appetite”
Ultimately the safest way to use diet pills is to not use them at all. Instead, embrace a lifestyle that focuses on gradually improving the quality of your diet from processed foods to unprocessed, natural foods and over time moving from an exercise schedule that resembles a squirrel in hibernation to regular varied daily exercise.
The article in the telegraph today was in reference to a chemical called Dinitrophenol (DNP) commonly used as a pesticide/ diet pill…mmmmm pesticides now you’re talking, I bet you can’t wait to go home and digest some pesticides! Whilst it’s highly effective at fat loss, its also pretty good at killing people! Basically DNP works by inhibiting FOF1 Adenosine Triphosphate, the result is a massive release of energy and turn over of calories roughly 50% greater than normal. The concept of burning 1lb of fat a day becomes a possibility.
In fact, here’s a cool bit of trivia…. the French used to use DNP in World War 1 with Picric Acid to make explosives. French workers often reported rapid weight loss, elevated body temperatures and excessive sweating ohh and quite a few deaths were reported. Obviously back then they had no idea of the effect of DNP on health.
Another chemical often found in diet pills that needs particular avoidance is Sibutramine, which is classified as an oral anorexiant, it has been linked with strokes and cardiovascular complications . Until 2010 this was available even in the UK, many diet pills still contain Sibutramine and can be purchased on line.. well worth a wide birth!
Almost as bad is Ephedrine, while it is incredibly effective at fat loss, it is associated with heart complications and elevated blood pressure. All to ramp up that magical “metabolism”!
In short diet pills can help you lose fat but when it comes down to it I wouldn’t choose a pill that could potentially kill me, instead of being a bit stricter with my food and going to the gym a couple of times a week.