Weight Loss Supplements

On the Internet today, there are literally thousands upon thousands of weight loss programs, weight loss diets, and weight loss plans. The market is bombarded with weight loss products, with new products being introduced nearly daily. How do you know what's safe to take? How much are you willing to spend in order to lose weight? What risks are you willing to take to achieve your weight loss goals?

These are important questions to answer. I once read an article, and I would quote it if I could remember where I read it, but the article stated something along the lines of women, in particular, and especially obese women, were often willing to risk taking a product where death was one of the possible side effects if it meant they would lose weight. I don't recall the exact percentage, but it was more than half. This is a scary thing to consider, in light of the ephedrin and Fen-Phen heart problems and related deaths, many women have died in order to try to be thinner. Some weight loss products not only can but have killed!

In recent years, weight loss medications and dietary supplements have hit the market expounding their virtues of 'RAPID WEIGHT LOSS, SAFE, EFFECTIVE, ALL NATURAL' only to be pulled from the market not long after because they were proven not to be as safe as they once were deemed.

One important thing to remember is that the words ALL NATURAL do not automatically mean safe. This is a popular misconception among consumers, probably because all natural foods are better for you than processed foods, therefore, consumers also assume all natural supplements must be better than processed or chemical substances. This isn't true at all.

Aspirin was once ALL NATURAL, made from willow bark, but if you take too much of it for too long, it can kill you too. Iron is ALL NATURAL, but if you take too much of it the wrong way, you can get very sick or even die. Marijuana is all natural and so is cocaine if the dealers don't cut it with anything - are these drugs safe just because they are all natural? No, they're not. So don't let the packaging that says ALL NATURAL fool you into believing this means it is safe.

Another important thing to note about weight loss supplements is that these products are usually sold as a dietary supplements, not medications or drugs (even though they are drugs) but as such, they are not considered food or medications. Therefore, these weight loss pills and supplements are not controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the same way other medications are. Read the label of most of these dietary supplements and you will see the words: "These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA" or some such wording.

Simply put, some herbal remedies, all natural dietary supplements, and the like can and do work for their intended purpose. The problem with them is that they are not properly used by the consumer, the dosages may be wrong, the amount your body needs may differ from the usage instructions, or they may simply be placebo effect pills that only work because you believe they will. Because these medications that claim herbal or all natural 'dietary supplements' are not required to go through the rigorous testing for efficacy and safety that an actual 'drug' would have to go through, you really don't know for sure what you're getting when you buy off the shelf.

Additionally, there is no consistency requirement. Some batches of these dietary supplements will contain more of the active ingredient and some less. You as the consumer have no way of knowing this for sure when you buy it off the shelf like this.

In the end, your best bet is to talk to your doctor about which nutritional supplements are best for you and your unique situation. Some nutritional supplements can also interact with certain medications, causing adverse affects on health. If you are concerned about any supplements you may be currently taking or have taken in the past, you can read more information about FDA warnings HERE.