Welcome to Pills for Weight Loss
In this guide you will find:

• The weight loss pill overview, describing each type and their purported benefits.
• Recall notices of pills and supplements, issued by the FDA and manufacturers, one common pattern you will notice are supposedly “Natural” weight loss aids that have had  unapproved or subscription only drugs added to give the potion a little more ‘kick’.
• The online store catalog, for your convenience, we have consolidated weight loss only products from the largest online store, into a categorized directory that should make finding the right product a bit easier.

Please bear in mind that there is no magic pill that can take the place of exercise and health nutrition. Ideally diet aids should only be used to augment a healthy weight loss plan that will sustain your target after you have stopped using the temporary aids.

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Types of Weight Loss Pills, How They Are Supposed to Work, and the Possible Side Effects.

Recognized Effective Diet Pills

Note: The following is a layman’s view of information that was gleaned from various authorities on the subject, we are not medical professionals, it’s always best to consult your doctor before using diet aids, even natural non-prescription aids can pose a danger to some, if improperly used.

Fat Absorption Inhibitors

Currently (Nov 2010) there is only one approved over the counter fat absorption inhibitor, Alii, which is a 1/2 strength version of the prescription drug Orlistat (it has 1/2 the name length too). These Xenical based drugs have been proven effective in clinical trials, this drug prevents the normal digestion of a portion of the fat in foods you consume. The side effect of having your digestive tract turned into a fat separation system and the accompanying  awkward need to eliminate the fatty oil, can be a little messy.

Appetite Suppressants

These drugs dull your brain ‘s sensation of hunger,  the most over the counter diet drugs have been in the appetite suppressant category, the key ingredient in these drugs have included hoodia, heartleaf or ephedra.  Ephedra and heartleaf-based products which had accompanying increases in heard rate have been banned by the FDA. Hodia is also commonly sold alternative, that has not been clinically proven effective. Interestingly, one prescription suppressant, Meridia was prescribed by mental health processionals as a monoamine re-uptake inhibitor, it was discovered that serotonin are normally released after a good meal, Meridia gives you that satiated feeling. Phentermin is another prescription drug influences serotonin levels by directly the hypothalmus.

Metabolism Boosters

Metabolism boosters are supposed to speed up the body’s fat burning abilities, it’s the closest thing to the dream solution, exercise in a pill. Of course there is no replacement for exercise, diet aids can only supplement a health diet and exercise program. Natural boosters, like chromium and green tea don’t require FDA approval, and hence have not been subjected to clinical testing that might prove or disprove their effectiveness.  People joke about going on the crack addict diet and the heroin chic model look, one serious metabolism booster and appetite suppressant drug prescribed for short term treatments under close supervision is Desoxyn, it’s a class II methamphetamine used in dangerous cases of obesity.

Non Prescription, Over-The-Counter “Natural” Diet Aids

Coming up with a successful FDA approved drug is a slow and expensive process, the cost for discovering, developing (including clinical trials and FDA submission) and launching a new drug (along with the prospective drugs that fail) is well over $1 billion.

Over-the-counter aids can be brought to market quickly and for a relatively tiny cost, it’s possible that the next natural cure may first appear in one of these products, it’s just as likely though, that next hot new natural diet product you see will contain ingredients propagated only by preliminary scientific research, fable or fabrication to have weight control benefits.

Popular Natural Diet Aid Ingredients:

Laxatives and diuretic can cause temporary weight reduction possibly useful for prize fighter weigh-ins or to fit into a wedding dress, they are Not helpful in making lasting weight loss. (The author of the “4 hour work week” describes winning a kick boxing tournament by regaining 28 pounds in the one day following weigh-in qualification.)

Cascara. One of the few herbs approved as an over-the-counter drug by the FDA, it is a strong stimulant laxative commonly used in weight loss products. Misuse of this herb has caused loss of body minerals (potassium, sodium) a problem particularly for pregnant women already experiencing mineral leaching.

Dandelion. Dandelion is a natural diuretic which decreases body water resulting in  temporary weight loss. Possible side effects:  allergic reactions and heartburn. Most over-the-counter diuretic are caffeine based, they can interact with some medications.

Guarana. Made from the seeds of a plant found in Brazil, it promotes weight loss through its stimulant and diuretic effects. It contains 3% to 5% caffeine, it can cause high blood pressure. Despite some product claims, there are side effects that may include nausea, dizziness, and anxiousness, it can interact with blood thinning drugs.

Aloe. A topical healing agent also used as an ingredient in herbal cleansing potions. It acts to produce a cathartic response (producing bowel movements) Hazardous for those with intestinal diseases, it can interact with some heart medications.

Other common ingredients:

Chitosan (KITE-o-san). An indigestable starch found in the skeleton of shrimp, crab, and other shellfish.  The chemical nature of Chitosan makes it bind with fatty foods, it’s believed to carry some fat from your body undigested. Several studies, however, found no weight loss results.

Garcinia cambogiais an extract from its fruit and rind is an ingredient in many natural weight loss products. The extract, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), is claimed to suppress appetite and enhance fat-burning.  It’s believed that HCA inhibits an enzyme called citrate lyase that normally helps turnsexcess carbohydrates into fat,  inhibiting it is believed to boost carbohydrate oxidation, effectively “burning carbs”. Early animal tests showed positive results, though clinical human trials have not proven it’s effectiveness.

Ephedrine used in asthma medicine, as well as to make methamphetamine, better known as speed. Sold as an appetite suppressant, it has been banned by the FDA since 2004 due to a myriad of side effects, including tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.

St. John’s wort. This herbal product is primarily used as an antidepressant. Few studies have evaluated its effectiveness for promoting weight loss. St. John’s wort and ephedra are the two primary ingredients in herbal phen-fen.  It can have dangerous interactions with many prescription drugs and some foods (containing tyramine) consult your doctor.

Chromium believed to work by enhancing the effect of insulin and therefore the breakdown of carbohydrates. It has not be validated by laboratory tests.

Glucomannan. Made from the root of Amorphophallus Konjac, glucomannan. Small limited studies have shown glucomannan to be effective in decreasing body weight by delaying the absorption of glucose from the intestines. Banned in several countries due to a high incidence of gastrointestinal obstruction, it’s effect is believed to be due to a “feeling of fullness” which may be due to the swelling of the glucomannan in the gut once it has been exposed to liquids.

More detailed descriptions of these natural ingredients can be found at Web MD.

If you experience clear cases of fraud, you can file a complaint in English or Spanish, at the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)

The FTC created their own diet product, that sort of a teaser, telling consumers, if you fall for this you had better be on guard.  FatFoe Eggplant Extract – Fat Blocker