How effective are weight loss tablets?

Recent studies have shown that more people are getting overweight every year. This happens not only to adults but even to kids who have just got started in school.

Many factors have contributed to this, such as the rise in the number of fast foods joints that contain a lot of saturated fat in the meals, the use of refined sugar in sodas and other processed foods, eating food with less fibre, genetics, overeating and as people age slow metabolism.

Considering losing weight takes time, and most people can't wait to get rid of it, these people have decided to take the fastest and easiest way out, which is through the consumption of weight loss tablets.

Ever since dating back to the 1950s until the late 90s, doctors have prescribed drugs for weight loss. The drug works by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain that makes the brain believe that the stomach is already full and thus, increases the personís metabolic rate. Only after scientists discovered that these drugs had side effects and were related to cause heart valve disease were taken off the shelves.

Later on, modifications were made, and new drugs were developed and prescribed by doctors and many of which are still waiting for FDA approval. The idea that a simple drug can change everything without the need to change one's diet or sacrificing anything is very tempting since people have seen friends and family members use it and have shown tremendous improvement.

This has made many people spend millions of dollars every year to experience this miracle and has given drug companies a lot of money making the drug and selling it.

Diet pills can be purchased either over-the-counter or prescribed by a doctor. Even with the advances in medical technology, these drugs still pose a health risk to the public. Problems in patients can be unpleasant such as diarrhea and vomiting, harmful such as tightness in the chest and in the urinary tract and fatal such as a heart attack or a stroke.

An overdose in weight loss tablets can cause tremors, confusion, hallucinations, shallow breathing, renal failure, heart attack and convulsions.

The side effects vary depending on the lifestyle and health of the person and can be minimized as long as one consults the doctor and follows the prescribed dosage when using it.

Should one decide to stop using the drugs, studies have shown that a person will experience withdrawal symptoms and side effects. These include noticeable mood swings, hyperactivity, and pain in the stomach, insomnia and nightmares, severe irritability, extreme fatigue, depression, nausea, vomiting and trembling.

A lot of clinical tests will show that taking these weight loss tablets really does work. However, there's a catch; it can only work if it's done with a low-calorie diet and an exercise plan.

A person can jog every morning or sign up and work out in a gym. Just like taking any medicine, one should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.

The best exercise plan should include having cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase one's metabolism and lose weight. Nonetheless, It is up to the person already to stick to the program to see that it works.