When I was in the eighth grade, I read a magazine article about how sitting naked in front of a mirror while eating would help you lose weight. This was the same year I started sneaking my mom’s little blue diet pills. These were my first disordered tendencies towards losing fat, but they definitely weren’t my last. Ya’ll, I was thirteen years old. THIRTEEN. I had no idea what was in those pills at the time, and I’m sure many still don’t…so let’s take a look.
Alli
Alli was the first diet pill I took. I snuck it out of the cupboard because I saw my mom taking them in an attempt to lose weight. Alli is a form of Orlistat. Orlistat inhibits the breakdown of fat in the gut, causing your body to absorb less calories. It’s been shown to decrease weight by roughly 6lbs on average, decrease blood pressure, and decrease type 2 diabetes, but this comes at a cost. As your body is no longer breaking down ingested fat, it is missing out on a lot of the great fat-soluble vitamins and can have some nasty side effects that can come out of your behind quite forcefully.
Thermogenics(Fat-burners)
The next(and last) diet pill that I tried was a “Thermo”. Thermos are usually a stack of ephedrine, caffeine, and asprin. Ephedrine is now restricted for sale due to its health complications. When ephedrine and caffeine are combined they can decrease appetite and increase metabolism for temporary weight loss.
Caffeine alone can increase metabolism by 3-11% and can increase fat burning by up to 29%. Caffeine is one of the most researched substances for performance and weight loss.
Side effects to both caffeine and ephedrine consist of increased heart rate, increase in anxiety, sleep issues, irritability, jitteriness, and more. Caffeine is an addictive substance, as well; whereas, ephedrine is not labeled as addictive.
CLA
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a pretty common weight loss supplement. It’s marketed at reducing appetite, boosting metabolism, and breaking down fat; however, a study posted in 2012 showed that it causes only ~3lbs of weight loss compared to a placebo pill.
Side effects include some pretty severe digestive issues, insulin resistance, and fatty liver. Its potential side effects aren’t worth 3lbs of weight loss, in my opinion.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract can be found in many weight loss supplements and even some multivitamins. The primary antioxidant in green tea extract has been shown to aid in fat burning by increasing norepinephrine. Multiple studies support its effectiveness in increasing fat burning and fat loss. Two controlled trials found that people lost 3lbs on average with green tea supplements. Green tea extract has few side effects, but may present as mild side effects being similar to caffeine.
Summing It All Up
Although some diet pills have research showing they may cause weight loss, the weight lost is not significant and could easily be water weight. It appears that the risk is greater than the reward. Since diet pills cause little to no lifestyle change, the likelihood of keeping any weight lost off in the long run is very low. Your energy and finances are likely better spent on learning how to balance your energy intake through proper nutrtion and staying consistent. One of the best ways to stay consistent is through hiring a coach. Email prtrainingstrong@gmail.com to get started
Resources:
Hursel, Viechtbauer, Westerterp-Pkantenga. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis.
Onakpoya, Posadzki, Watson, Ernst. The efficacy of long-term conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on body composition in overweight and obese individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Dullog, Geissler, Horton, Collins, Miller. Normal caffeine consumption: influence on thermogenesis and daily energy expenditure in lean and postobese human volunteers
Padwal, Li, Lau. Long-term pharmacotherapy for obesity and overweight.