How Popular Diet Pills Work

Despite our assumptions of dieting being a modern trend, diets as a way of maintaining the appearance have been around for centuries. Famous 19th century poet Lord Byron notably tried to trim his waistline by eating a diet of potatoes in vinegar, while English undertaker William Banting introduced the low-carb diet in the 1863 pamphlet 'Corpulence'. Since then, however, dieting has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, extending from diets to supplements to meal replacements and, as we'll be discussing in this article, pills.

Diet Pills

Why are diet pills so alluring? Well, take a look at all the other approaches people have taken for weight loss. Dieting requires restricting your food intake and limiting your food choices, something many people find difficult to do. There's exercise, which requires not only the endurance to maintain a workout regimen consistently, but also the mental drive to see a workout, jog, or swim to its conclusion. There's also surgery, which can be costly and dangerous, and doesn't address any of the causes that make you overweight in the first place. Diet pills, on the other hand, seem like an easy fix: just pop a few each day, some claim, and you're on your way to a slimmer body. It sounds easy, but most of all, it seems low-effort - perfect for many people who just want results without putting in the work. The problem is that diet pills don't always do what they say they will, and in some cases, they can be outright dangerous. We'll go through a few of the most popular types of pills, how they're supposed to work, what they contain, and whether they're a good choice for you or not.

Type One: 'Metabolism' Pills

This is a common type of diet pill you'll see all over the place. The companies behind these pills claim that they'll 'ignite' your metabolism, 'rev' your body into high gear, along with other words that have to do with things like car engines, or literal fires being stoked in a furnace. Many of these pills are referred to with the word 'thermogenic' (literally 'creating heat'). How are these pills supposed to work? Well, your 'metabolism' is the rate at which your body converts stored fuel to energy. Fuel generally comes in the form of blood sugar (which comes from carbohydrates) or from stored fat. These pills promise to increase your metabolic rate, so that your body naturally burns more calories and more stored body fat, which over time is supposed to eliminate unsightly pudge wherever it collects. Generally these pills contain caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system and gives you energy. Unfortunately, caffeine doesn't produce a significant enough increase in metabolism to make you lose weight quicker than before. Moreover, these types of pills can contain dangerous ingredients like synephrine (which can cause heart problems) and yohimbe (which can cause strokes). Some people have seen improvements in their energy levels from these pills, which can help weight loss, but you need to make sure to read up on the ingredients - or you might end up suffering heart problems, liver failure, insomnia, nausea and a host of other side effects that can come with these pills.

Type 2: 'Fat-Blocker' Pills

What if you could eat whatever you want and still lose weight? That's what these types of pills promise. They claim that they can literally prevent your body from absorbing fat - a significant source of calories - from the food you eat, resulting in you taking in fewer calories per day without changing your diet. These pills are typically drugs like Alli and Xenical, which contain the drug orlistat. This drug inhibits the enzyme that causes your body to digest and absorb fat from the food you eat. The undigested fat passes through your digestive tract and ends up passed by the bowels. While this process does technically reduce the amount of calories from the fattier foods you eat, it also leads to side effects like oily stools and stomach problems. These pills can also be expensive.

Type 3: Appetite Suppressants

These types of diet pills have been around for decades. They claim to make you less hungry, and with a smaller appetite you'll end up eating less food, and lose weight as a result. People who have a hard time managing their food cravings can see these pills as a miracle. These pills are typically prescription-only amphetamines that affect the central nervous system and the brain, specifically the neurons that control appetite perception. By chemically inhibiting your desire to eat, these pills can definitely help you to lose weight. Since they affect the brain, they come with all sorts of dire side effects that range from insomnia, mood swings and lethargy, to full-on depression and suicidal thoughts. They can also be habit-forming, which is why they're heavily regulated and require a doctor to prescribe them for you.

In Conclusion

As you can see, there is no 'magic pill' that will solve your weight-related problems. Even the pills that do show promise don't work alone: you still need to maintain a healthy, controlled diet and make sure you get plenty of exercise in order to get the results you're looking for. And by all means, don't take our word for it. By doing your research and reading up on the pros and cons of any health or diet product you're considering buying, you can avoid the pitfalls others have had and make sure you stay happy and healthy on your weight-loss journey.