6 Reasons You Should Avoid Non-Prescription Diet Pills

Losing weight is hard work it’s no surprise that people turn to diet pills. Creating menus, counting calories, and exercising all take a great deal of effort and require a lifestyle change – something that’s not easy to accomplish. To make matters worse, the weight comes off very slowly even when you’re doing everything right.

It’s no wonder that most people dream and search for a magic pill that will either require them to do less work or make the weight come off faster. You can’t really blame them for trying, but are over-the-counter diet pills the answer? Hardly! In fact, some non-prescription pills can be quite dangerous. Look at the following 6 reasons to avoid diet pills:

1. Not Proven Safe – Most over-the-counter diet products have not been tested adequately and are not regulated by the FDA. Basically, you’re taking a gamble each time you ingest a non-prescription diet pill. At best, you will have no adverse reaction to the supplement. However, the worst-case scenarios can be quite devastating; some people have died as the direct result of taking diet pills.
2. Most Are Not Effective – Diet pill manufacturers always seem to slip under the radar. They make exaggerated claims as to the effectiveness of their products with little or no evidence to back it up. You can liken it to the peddlers that sold elixirs, potions, and magic tonics during the post Civil War era – A lot of diet pills amount to nothing more than a bunch of hocus pocus.
3. Dangerous Ingredients – Many diet pills contain copious amounts of caffeine and diuretics. While these ingredients are usually safe in small amounts, they can cause dehydration, heart palpitations, and electrolyte imbalances when taken in large amounts. In some cases, people have suffered from heart-related complications due to diet-pill ingredients.
4. Encourage Unhealthy Weight-Loss Tactics – Most diet pills come with a diet plan. Some encourage unhealthy behaviors such as dramatically cutting calories. For example, I’ve seen directions for some hCG diets that encourage women to drop to a meager 500 calories which is well below the starvation threshold.
5. Side Effects – Many pills have appetite-suppression properties. These pills have been linked to serious health conditions such as heart attack and stroke, high blood pressure, anxiety, and nervous behavior. Other side effects associated with diet pills include gastrointestinal symptoms, dehydration, and possible addiction.
6. All-Natural Does Not Mean Safe – A lot of people think that a product is safe if it’s considered all natural. However, there’s no evidence to suggest that all-natural products are any safer than manmade products. Additionally, many pills that are advertised as being all natural contain chemicals in addition to natural ingredients.

In light of the problems and risks associated with over-the-counter weight-loss supplements, they are hardly a healthy option for dieters. When you combine the risks with the fact that most of them do not provide any benefits or enhance weight loss, it becomes clear that the best way to lose weight is through proper diet and exercise.