Obesity levels are continuing to rise, and with them the illnesses associated with being overweight, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It’s a worrying epidemic, and one of the major health challenges facing the developed world both now and in the future. As of yet, there is no easy way to shed the pounds, no magic pill that melts fat and lets you eat what you like.
The healthiest way to lose weight is still the combination of eating fewer calories and taking more exercise, but this method is far from easy for most people. Over recent years drugs have been developed that have been found to be useful in helping with weight loss, but how effective are they, and are there any risks associated with their use?
Fat-blocking drugs
These work by preventing your body from absorbing around one-third of the fat you eat. There are over the counter brands that you can get without a prescription, but these have a far lower dose of the active ingredient, orlistat. You’ll normally only be prescribed the stronger version if you’re clinically obese or are severely overweight and have what’s called co-morbidity – other conditions linked to your weight that are endangering your health, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
It’s important to note that although the drug works by preventing a degree of fat absorption, that doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you like and still lose weight. You should be on a low-fat diet at the same time, so no more than thirty percent of your calories should be consumed as fat. You may experience stomach cramps, gas problems, and anal leakage or possibly bowel incontinence, particularly if you eat a high-fat meal. You’ll also need to take vitamin supplements, as orlistat temporarily prevents the uptake of vitamins A, D, E and K from your diet.
Appetite suppressants
The other main form of prescription weight loss drug is the appetite suppressant, which as the name suggests, makes you feel less hungry than normal. There are several different appetite suppressants available, including lorcaserin, naltrexone HCl and bupropion, liraglutide, phentermine, and topiramate. These all act in different ways to reduce your appetite and help you consume fewer calories, so if you struggle with dieting, they could help you control your eating more effectively.
There are minor side effects such as nausea, constipation, headaches, dizziness, and dry mouth. There are also more serious side effects that you could experience with these drugs, so it’s important to make sure your doctor has an in-depth knowledge of your medical history, so they can prescribe the drug that is safest for you to use.
Thermogenics
Clenbuterol is an asthma medication that works by stimulating your metabolism and dilating your bronchial tubes, which helps asthmatics to breathe normally when their lungs start to constrict as a result of an asthma attack. It’s been found that these same thermogenic actions can help weight loss, and clenbuterol has become a popular choice for bodybuilders and people looking to lose weight. It helps weight loss because it enables your body to burn fat more effectively, and increasing lung capacity helps you work harder and build more muscle. While this product is known to accelerate weight loss and make it possible to diet less strictly and still achieve results, there are also potential side effects to its use, so if you’re contemplating trying it, find out as much about the drug as you can from reliable sources before you start. You must stick to the recommended dosages and ensure you follow a cycle of taking breaks from using the drug, and not use it for more than four months at a time. Some of the side effects can be serious, such as enlargement of the heart, which can lead to a heart attack. It also has addictive properties, which could mean you find it hard to stop taking it when you should.
Diet and exercise
All the drugs listed above have potential side effects; some minor inconveniences, some potentially life-threatening. All of them require you to be following a calorie-controlled diet and taking regular exercise, so none is a magical cure for losing weight – you still have to eat less and do more. Given these facts, the healthiest approach to losing weight is to follow a diet and exercise program rather than relying on pills to lose weight. You’ll find doctors will be reluctant to prescribe any of these drugs unless your weight is so great that it’s putting your health at considerable risk because diet and exercise are far healthier ways to shift excess weight. If you’ve been thinking about taking weight loss drugs because you’re struggling with losing weight, see what alternatives you can find by doing some research online. There are many and various diet and exercise plans you can try, and if you don’t get on with one that doesn’t mean you might not be successful with another. Finding the right motivation is the key to successful weight loss, so it’s a good idea to look for the triggers that will make you more determined to lose weight and live a healthier life.
Being overweight is so common now in the Western world that it’s becoming normal to be carrying a few extra pounds. The benefits to your health and mental wellbeing of losing weight are many and well-documented, and the risks you face as an overweight person are equally numerous and proven. Only you have the power to change your life, but it is a power that you can tap into if you try hard enough. If being overweight is a problem for you, talk it over with your doctor, and find out as much information as you can about why it’s harmful, what could happen, and different methods of dealing with the problem. Just remember that diet and exercise are the key tools for weight loss, and using diet pills is best reserved for people with the most severe problems.
