Diet Pills- The Magic Pills to Diarrhea

“There’s no magic pill in life and there’s no easy way out of it.”  You’ve heard this saying before- and yes, believe it or not, this includes weight loss (Gasp! Impossible!)  Ladies and gentlemen, what I mean by this is diet pills are evil! EVIL! I say this to you not as just a reporter, but I am also confiding in you. You see, about four years ago my self-confidence hit its ultimate low point, so  as a result, I wanted to lose weight fast ( even though at the time I was 5’6 and 123 pounds).  I took to abusing the non-FDA approved Stackers 2 and nearly paid a grave price had I not had some really good friends who intervened in my problem.  So, this article isn’t just for people who are thinking about using them or are using them, these are for those people who have friends who have issues with their weight, and/or know people who are using this (believe it or not) drug.

                Additionally, due to recent events that have occurred in my household over the past five years with me, my cousin, and a dog, I am compelled to write this article.  I understand many of you are probably not caring about my life crises, but you have to realize that this is an on-going and ever-expanding issue in our society.  Think of Anna Nicole smith- the primary cause of her death was, you guessed it, DIET PILLS (as reported by CNN).  That being said, diet pills are evil because they harm you physically and psychologically, and leave you with a downright UNPLEASANT experience. (Yes, folks, this includes FDA approved ALLI).

                So, let’s talk about the side effects caused by diet pills first.  The Stanford Daily Online reports in their article, “Diet Pill Use on the Rise Amongst Teenage Girls,” common side effects from weight loss medications include nervousness, irritability, headaches, dry mouth, nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sleep problems, intense dreams, and even heart problems. Hey, but at least you get skinnier, right? I mean you can only DIE from them.  Other effects of taking diet pills, as reported on ivillage.com include, irregular bleeding, weight gain (oh my god what, it doesn’t even work?!!), Acne, breast tenderness, mood changes, and loss of libido (that’s sexual energy, by the way).  So, diet pills will leave you fat, ugly, moody, and action-less. Sounds like a great plan to me! Oh, and did I mention, dead?

                So, Let’s break this down even further, if you want to find out if a person is suffering from diet pill abuse, ehow.com, suggests you look for the following physical symptoms:

Step1

Check to see if a person has digestive problems after taking a diet pill. One potential area of the body affect by the diet pill is the digestive system. Diet pills can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Step2

Ascertain if the diet pill user has any vision or balance problems. Another potential area affected by the intake of diet pills is the occurrence of blurred vision, dizziness and tremors.

Step3

Determine if the person taking the diet pills has had change in personality. Diet pills can cause a user to become nervous and inattentive. Another possible side effect of diet pills is depression. Therefore, if there are any changes in the users emotional state be sure to contact a doctor.

Step4

Take note of any changes in the diet pill users' physical appearance. Has there been any hair loss or bulging eyes? These are possible side effects of diet pills.

Step5

Observe any changes in the diet pill user's heart rate or blood pressure. Diet pills can damage the heart and circulatory system.

Folks, these are JUST SOME of the physical after-effects of using diet pills.  Medicine Net.com in 2006 state, Experts from the CDC and FDA estimate that every year, more than 700,000 people visit U.S. emergency departments because of side effects, accidental overdoses, and other adverse drug events. ” 700,000! That was in 2006, imagine the rate now after people have celebrity figures such as Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan to look up and model themselves after. (Leaves a bad taste in the mouth, doesn’t it?)

On top of this, diet pills have some serious psychological effects, aside from moodiness and irritability, attached to them.  As reported earlier, diet pills have been known to cause severe depression, often leading a person to attempt suicide multiple times.  Picture this, you are at the high point of your life, the pivotal point that will make or break you, but you are so obsessed with keeping your physical being in shape, you have resorted to using diet pills.  All of a sudden, the day before the “big day”, you are sitting in your bathroom slitting your wrists and swallowing gallons of poisonous house cleaning items. You have no idea why you are doing this, and you cannot control yourself.  A little voice in the back of your head is saying, “Why are you doing this? What is wrong with you? Get some control over yourself!” But, you can’t stop, you want to, but you can’t.  Finally, you gain control over yourself again, but it is way too late. You are being rushed over to the hospital with judgmental eyes all about you asking you, “What did we ever do to you? Why are you doing this to us? All we ever did was love you!”  You want to explain that you lost complete control over yourself and that immense sorrow and suffering took over your mind, but you are not sure how to explain this to them, because you, yourself, aren’t really sure what triggered it.  Then, all of a sudden, after this blur of drama, and action, you find yourself put in a room full of crazy people tied to a bed and getting constantly injected with various tranquilizers as if you were some sort of rabid animal. What the hell is going on, you wonder, but now you are no longer in control of yourself, some random stranger is.  Is this really the type of situation you want to see you or your friends go through? I didn’t think so.  The situation I just described was a real life scenario, so believe it or not, there was no exaggeration whatsoever.  Secondly, diet pills are a drug, people become addicted to it just as easily as they would had it been meth or crack or pot.  Diet pills are no joke.  They often lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.  According to the Free Health Encyclopedia, about fifteen percent of women in the world today suffer from some sort of eating disorder. And that’s only the ones that are reported, and have decided to seek help. So, as you can see, not a joke.

Still not convinced? Well, let me break it down to you pill by pill.

Alli- FDA approved diet pill. Wonderful? NOT!  Natural News.com reports a rather disgusting, ineffective and unpleasant experience from this pill: “Well, it turns out that Alli is just barely effective in clinical trials. Patients who took this drug lost about 1 pound a month. That's hardly any weight loss that all. That's the same amount of weight loss that you could experience simply by eating about a thousand fewer calories a week, which comes down to just a few cans of soda per week. By the way, that weight loss reversed itself as soon as people went off the drug, meaning they gained it right back. Still, the drug is being heralded as a potential blockbuster because so many Americans are desperate to lose weight and it seems that they will do almost anything to accomplish that goal.

My question is, will they tolerate soiled underwear to accomplish it? That's one of the most common side effects of this drug. People actually spotted their clothes with uncontrollable anal discharges. I don't know about you, but to me that's not worth losing a pound a month. I think losing your self respect might be more valuable than that, but I guess that's up to each person to decide. I wonder how this works when dating? Do you wear, like, diapers? ”

DEX-L10 Hoodia Gordonii Natural Appetite Suppressant- As reported in consumersearch.com, “For each person that says hoodia gordonii works to control their appetite, another says it doesn't. While some experts say hoodia seems safer than a lot of over-the-counter diet pills, there's really no convincing evidence for or against hoodia gordonii. If you do want to try hoodia, experts say to be sure you're getting the real thing -- certified hoodia gordonii from South Africa. Many manufacturers mix hoodia with stimulants like bitter orange or green tea extract, and researchers take an even dimmer view of the safety of those ingredients. DEX-L10, like all diet supplements, hasn't been approved by the FDA and hasn't been subjected to clinical studies, but at least it contains authentic hoodia gordonii and no added stimulants. However, there are not enough studies to show its efficacy, and some advocates, including Consumer Reports and ConsumerLab.com, do not recommend hoodia for weight loss at all.”

Lean System 7- Again, consumersearch.com reports, “Unlike most over-the-counter diet pills, Lean System 7 has at least been the subject of a couple of clinical studies -- even if the studies were both short (eight weeks) and involved a small number of subjects (about 30 adults each). The limited studies do seem to suggest that Lean System 7 and its main ingredient, 7-keto, do have some positive effects on resting metabolic rate (RMR). However, critics of the supplement worry that its long-term safety and efficacy are not conclusively known. In addition, Lean System 7 contains bitter orange and green tea extract, stimulants against which many advocates and researchers advise caution. As with all diet pills and supplements, experts just say there's too little information on Lean System 7's long-term safety, asserting that the best way to lose weight is through behavior modification -- not diet pills.”

Stackers 3- As reported by chitosanplanet.com, “The Stacker 3 not only contains Chitosan but other ingredients proven to reduce body fat. The main ingredients are kola nuts, grapefruit extracts, caffeine, white willow bark, cactus extract 12:1, guarana sees, garcinia fruit and Triguarcinia3 Complex green tea leaves…

Stacker 3 like many diet pills has side effects that include insomnia, a feeling of restlessness and occasionally jitters. It isn’t stimulant free. Even though the label on the bottle says “ephedra free” don’t assume it is completely safe. Kola nut extract and synephrine which comes from the citrus aurantium are stimulants and both are found in Stacker 3.

Pregnant mothers and nursing women cannot use Stacker 3 with Chitosan. And people who are sensitive to caffeine or people who drink coffee may also have some serious health issues. Check with a doctor before you use Stacker 3 with Chitosan.”

Hydroxycut- As reported by hydroxycutmaxreviews.com, side effects “Increased blood pressure, Headaches, some light-headedness and possible dizziness, Loss of appetite, Feeling restless, Nose bleeds, Blurred vision, and Acne Outbreaks.”  In some cases, Hydroxycut has been known to cause severe depression as well.

So, Do you see my point now? Diet pills are NO JOKE. So, think twice.

            There are many healthy alternatives you can try instead of resorting to diet pills.  For instance, try a healthy, balanced diet.  If you go to mypyramid.gov, you can input your weight and height, and they will calculate you a personal, balanced diet, suggesting what you need to balance your diet based on your weight and height.  Also, one of the surefire ways to lose weight is through exercise. You can try all sorts of different exercises, such as hot yoga, pilates, aerobics, or even dancing for 30 minutes in your room to some funky music.  Lately, many articles suggest doing a cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes 6 times a week.  This includes running, dancing, walking, biking, etc.   So, my suggestion to you is find an exercise that works for you. Try different ones out and just stick with it, and before you even know it, you’ll have a figure like Jessica Biel!

            So, next time you pick up this drug, just picture yourself with severe chest pains gasping for breath with your life passing you by.  Next time your friend picks up these pills, picture them institutionalized, tied up to a bed struggling to leave, but not able to.  And if none of these have an effect, imagine your cat or dog getting a hold of these pills, accidentally ingesting them, and having to be hospitalized with a 1% chance of living, and having multiple catheters plugged into it cute, fluffy little body.  Disturbing, isn’t it?  You know what to do. STOP THE MADNESS! Let’s start making smart, healthy decisions, and realize that nothing in life comes easy. INCLUDING WEIGHT LOSS!!! Long live Realism!