Diet pills. How do they work?

TeaBea

Jayj180894 wrote: »

I've taken diet pills before. Nothing dangerous just the ones advertised on TV, or ones you can pick up in the supermarket. Obviously I lost weight because I was DIETING while taking them, so would of lost weight anyway! Obviously after a little bit of research, I stopped throwing my money away and stopped taking them. I just want to know what they actually do?!? You have be on a calorie controlled diet for them to work (so weight loss would be inevitable). Surely if they are allowed to advertise help with weight loss they have to do something?!? Disclaimer: Im not interested in taking any, and it's just a question out of pure interest. I do believe they don't aid in weightloss, but wondered if they did actually do anything at all?

One older example of how they "work."

Back in the day - there was a side effect for Contac cold medicine. It diminished appetite. Not sure if the formula is the same now......but whallah! Dexatrim, Accutrim, and a slew of diet pills followed.

When they did an actual study (diet supplements don't require proof) - they found that the side effect was temporary. People don't take cold medicine week after week, the same way they do diet pills, so the makers of Dexatrim, etc. may not have known this.

cerise_noir

They don't.

Jayj180894

singingflutelady wrote: »

Jayj180894 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Saying they don't work is false. They work is a variety of ways. There are appetite suppressants which work just as their name implies. There are fat blockers, which make you poop out some of the fat you eat instead of absorb it. There are laxatives that make you poop out some of everything you eat instead of absorb it. And there are things like caffeine and amphetamines that speed you up.

But none will work unless you are in a calorie deficit. And some have some pretty nasty side affects.

What if you're eating at maintenance, while taking the fat blockers or laxatives? Will you still not lose anything at all?

Why would you want to abuse laxatives? The only thing that actives make you lose is somewhat water weight and poop and they can cause major digestive issues for a long time. Becoming laxative dependent is probably not fun.

I wouldnt want to. I'm just interested in the affects it has on the body. I don't plan on taking any diet pills whatsoever. And also not interested in taking then. But so many people do, for a quick fix.