1. Weighing In… Are the diet pills worth the risk?
People are always putting foreign elements into their bodies. We consume caffeine at such alarming rates that it is the next logical step that we find a more convenient way to get ourselves going.
Every persons’ body is different but the one common thread is that there are real benefits to eating healthy and exercising regularly. No aid needed in most cases.
“I was sweating and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest! I couldn’t sit still, like I was on drugs!” –M.G.
In 2006 a University of Minnesota study showed that the number of high-school aged females that consumed diet pills had nearly doubled over five years from 7.5% to 14.2%.
Many of these teenagers are also participating in unhealthy weight control behaviors such as vomiting, skipping meals or laxatives.
The pills that are being consumed contain Synephrine, also listed as bitter orange, sour orange or zhishi in natural weight loss products. Synephrine is a synthetic formula designed to imitate the effects that ephedra has on the metabolism.
Side effects include cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, dizziness, headaches and tremors.
Has not been approved by the FDA for consumption.
If it sounds too good to be true… It probably is.
Many bodybuilders seek a little assistance when trying to cut down their body fat before a big event. Supplements help them achieve this desired goal by increasing their metabolism. If you seek advice from your general practitioner about weight loss pills, more than likely you will be advised of a healthy diet and exercise regiment. Those who are obese or morbidly obese are prescribed diet pills in order to curb their appetites and to prepare for surgery if they qualify. As an alternative to surgery, these diet pills seem much less invasive. Instead of being sluggish and tired, people give their praise saying how they feel rejuvenated and motivated after ingesting a time release, stimulant enhanced diet pill.
“As a new mom, I had about 15 residual pounds of baby weight that I wanted to lose and Phentermine just helped me get over the hump that weight watchers left me in. All I had to do was go to my nurse practitioner and ask for them. It was easy.” -D.C.
No matter what result you are after, none of the benefits could be worth the risk of your health. Always consult your medical doctor with questions or concerns regarding your diet and exercise plan.
Kimberly Paper, NS241 Philosophy & History of Science
Park University, Fall 2011

2. Weighing In References
University of Minnesota (2006, October 30). New Study Shows Teenage Girls' Use Of Diet Pills Doubles Over Five-year Span. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 30, 2011, from /releases/2006/10/ htm