Thousands of people take resolutions on new years day that they will lose weight. But the fact, losing weight is not as easy as it seems. In this fast-paced world, everyone wants quick results. All thanks to social media’s idea of a perfect body, the growth of these products have been constantly rising. Plus, the pressure from society for the perfect body shape pushes people to the edge. Although, there is a line of difference between unregulated weight-loss supplements and medicines approved by the FDA. 

Are weight-loss pills the shortcut to weight loss? 

The truth is that weight loss pills are still a topic of controversy. It is not certain that weight loss pills guarantee a drop in your weight. Although, certain FDA-approved medications if consumed under the supervision of a doctor can result in weight loss. But still, your diet and exercise are two major components that affect your weight and mood. They control the overall functioning of the body. So, it’s true that some weight-loss pills can help you manage your weight. But, it’s not safe to consume weight loss pills of your own choice. 

Plus, weight-loss pills can be heavy on your pocket, and most insurance companies do not cover these pills. Not just that, the weight-loss pill can cause some side effects like: 

• Nausea
• Constipation
• Diarrhea 
• Increased heart beat rate 
• Sleeplessness
• Kidney problems 
• Agitation 
• Rectal bleeding 

Although, side-effects like nausea, constipation, and diarrhea can come under mild effects. You should discuss this with your doctor before even thinking about consuming these pills. Also, it was found that some people gained weight back after they stopped consuming the pills. There was a case in which a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine was sold as Fen-Phen which was a reason for the death of so many people due to pulmonary hypertension and damage to the heart valves. As a result, FDA pressurised the manufacturers to cancel the product. Also, you should avoid fake medicines to keep your body healthy.    

There are some conditions in which your doctor might suggest you weight-loss drugs. These conditions are: 

• Your body mass index (BMI) is more than 30
• If you have a BMI of more than 27, then you must be going through some kind of issues like obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure. 

You should note that these weight-loss pills are not made to be consumed by everyone. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, then don’t consume these pills.  

FDA-approved weight loss pills 

Weight-loss medicines have many modes of operation to make you lose weight. One way is that they suppress your appetite so that you eat less and as a result, your calorie intake is reduced. Also, anti-depressant drugs, an anti-seizure medicine, and medicines for diabetes are prescribed for weight loss.

According to FDA, the following drugs can be used for short-term weight loss: 

• diethylpropion (Tenuate)
• phendimetrazine (Bontril)
• phentermine (Adipex-P, Fastin)
• benzphetamine (Didrex)

But for long-term use, the following drugs are recommended: 

• phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia)
• orlistat (Xenical, Alli)
• liraglutide (Saxenda)
• naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave)

Should you take pills? 

Since weight-loss pills tend to have a certain risk factor, we would suggest going for a healthy diet paired with daily workouts. The clear-cut answer is that these pills may or may not work for you. Plus, there are chances that these pills will result in certain side effects. You should never consume pills without consultation with your doctor. Also, make sure that you are not taking any pills which are not approved by FDA. the pills that promise you unbelievable effects like loose 10 kgs in 1 week, definitely contain unsafe ingredients.

According to experts, even though these pills may contain teas and beneficial extracts, they also contain artificial ingredients which are synthetic and unsafe in long run. In prolonged use, they can lead to muscle loss, water loss, and fat loss by using the body’s natural resources. Overall they exhaust your body in the long run. They contain other ingredients that suppress your appetite and make you feel full. The commonly used ingredient is hydroxy citric acid which curbs the appetite and increases fat burn by using carbohydrates for energy. 

Final Note: 

In this fast-paced world, everyone wants quick results and shortcuts are all we look for. Weight loss is a challenge for many people. Weight-loss pills are known to help you shed kilos. But the question is do they really work? The answer is that they work but not for everyone, moreover,m they are not fit to be consumed by everyone. Always consume such pills after consulting your doctor. Plus, make sure that they are recognized by FDA. Also, authenticate fake medicines and report them if you ever come across them.