Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Weight Loss Products Flood Market; Bad Reactions Reported

Weight-loss products and remedies have taken the weight-loss market by storm. Millions of people across the country are using diet pills and other products, but many are not aware of the controversy surrounding these weight-loss remedies.

At least one controversial company claims that their pill "increases your metabolism and decreases your appetite." Two main ingredients in several weight-loss formulas, ma huang and caffeine, may be responsible for such claims.

Ma huang contains a substance called ephedra. Both ephedra and caffeine are stimulants that speed up the nervous system and heart, but not necessarily your metabolism, says Rosemary Rodibaugh, nutrition specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.

What people may not know is that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received hundreds of reports of adverse effects from weight-loss products containing the combination of ephedra and caffeine. The reported reactions vary from the milder effects, such as nervousness, dizziness, tremor, irregular heart rate, headache and gastrointestinal distress to chest pain, heart attack, hepatitis, stroke, seizures, psychosis and death.

These adverse reactions have been reported both in young, otherwise healthy, individuals and persons with health problems, such as hypertension. In addition a stimulant "overdose" syndrome has been reported in children and teenagers who have used these products.

The manufacturer of one popular product suggests the following lifestyle changes in addition to using their product.

Eat something for each meal, and eat meals slowly, giving the appetite-suppression mechanism time to begin.

Do not skip meals.

Practice moderate calorie restriction.

Lower fat consumption (less than 20 percent fat calories) and avoid processed foods.

Drink six to eight glasses of water per day.

Exercise regularly (30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to four times a week).

Making the recommended changes, which are sound practices for weight loss, may be largely responsible for the effectiveness of the product, not the herbal ingredients. You can save money by following the lifestyle recommendations and not taking diet pills.

Research shows that eating a low-calorie diet coupled with increased physical activity will lead to weight loss. Maintaining these practices after you have lost weight will help prevent regaining lost weight.

Twenty years ago one of every four American adults was obese. Today one in three is obese and nearly half of all adults are overweight. What is happening? We are eating more fat and exercising less. A weight-loss miracle pill is not the solution!

For more information on safe and sensible weight loss contact the Clark County Extension office at 246-2281.