DIET PILLSJennifer Qing

What are diet pills?Pills that claim to make you

lose weight.

TYPES OF DIET PILLSAppetite-Suppressants• Reduce hunger• How they work

– affects certain neurotransmitters to decrease appetite– Increases heart rate and blood pressure– Increases serotonin and catecholamine levels

• Ingredients– CitriMax (HCA)

• Inhibits an enzyme called ATP-Citrate Lyase Blocks the conversion of carbohydrates into fat

– Hoodia gordonii– Green Tea Extract– Garcinia Cambogia: raises amount of serotonin in body

reduces appetite– Caffeine: briefly suppresses appetite

TYPES OF DIET PILLS CONT.

Hoodia Diet Pills• Type of appetite suppressant • Made from isolated ingredient in Hoodia

Gordonii plant • Plant found in the Kalahari Desert of South

Africa• Makes brain think you’re full• Active molecule is called P57– As it is passed to the brain, it helps controlling the

appetite

TYPES OF DIET PILLS CONT.

Fat Burners (Thermogenic Diet Pills) • Contain stimulants that can decrease fat

absorption and/or increase muscle mass• Ingredients help your body use body fat as a

source of fuel for energy• Ingredients– Green tea– Chromium• stabilizing blood sugar levels help reduce sugar

cravings

Fat Blockers• prevent the lipases in the digestive system

from breaking down and storing the fat you ingest

• Ingredients– Chitosan combined with other fiber ingredients• Absorbs fat and is a fiber (not broken down by body)• When taken, it absorbs fat as it passes through the

body’s digestive system• Takes the fat out of the body with it

• Prevents fat from being stored

TYPES OF DIET PILLS CONT.

TYPES OF DIET PILLS CONT.

Carbohydrate Blockers• inhibits the enzymes evolved in the break down

of carbohydrates into stored fat • Ingredients– phaselous vulgaris

• Inhibits a certain enzyme in the body (The enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is stored in the body as fat)

• Discharges the carbohydrates from the body before they enter the bloodstream

– Chromium Picolinate and Alpha Lipoic Acid• Regulate insulin reduce sugar cravings and feel full

• This type of diet pill still under experimentation

TYPES OF DIET PILLS CONT.

Antioxidants• Ex. Acai berry extract– Rich in antioxidants, fights free radicals

• Prevent cell oxidization and improve energy levels– Improving energy level is helpful if stress is the

main cause of your weight gain. • Vitamins C, E and A are antixodants– Need to be administered carefully– Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble and lead to

toxicity if taken in high amounts

A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME INGREDIENTS

Garcinia cambogia• Found in India• The active ingredient: hydroxycitric acid• Suppressed appetite and enhance fat burning• Supposed to suppress enzymatic activity of

citrate lyase, which is responsible for the breakdown of excess carbohydrates into fat storage

A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME INGREDIENTS CONT.

Gymnema• Gymnema sylvestre is a plant found in India

and other parts of Asia• The active ingredient: gymnemic acid• Helps balance sugar levels• Gymnemic acid molecules are similar to

glucose molecules– They inhibit glucose cell receptorsprevents

uptake of sugar molecules

WHERE TO BUYPrescription• Prescribed to obese individuals with a BMI of 35 or more• These pills have more serious side-effects • contain prescription ingredients, such as Phentermine and

Bontril• These pills are regulated by the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

• Ex. Meridia and XenicalOver-the-counter• Wide range of effectiveness• Products considered by FDA to be over-the-counter weight

control drugs [as opposed to dietary supplements] are primarily those containing the active ingredient phenylpropanolamine

CONSEQUENCES/SIDE AFFECTS• Some Possible General side effects: high blood

pressure, irregular heart rate, sleep problems, nervousness, seizures, insomnia, acne, nose bleeds

• Excessive weight loss can be dangerous• Diet pills are not considered to be an addictive

drug– But people can become dependent on diet pills

POTENTIALLY HARMFUL PRODUCTS (IDENTIFIED BY FDA OR OTHER CONSUMER WATCH GROUPS)

Aristolochic Acid• associated with permanent kidney damage• Can develop certain types of cancersEphedra• Also known as Ma-huang• Chemically similar to methamphetamine, which is “speed”Herbal weight loss tea/Dieter’s tea• Marketed as “natural laxatives”Ineffective method of weight loss• Can result in bowel dependency (constipation) on the laxative propertiesTiratricol• Triiodothyroacetic acid, or TRIAC• A strong thyroid hormone• Linked to stroke and heart attacks

ARE DIET PILLS A GOOD OPTION FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

No.• Should not rely on diet pills to lose weight• They are not a long-term solution and they

come with the risk of side effects!• According to surveys, constant and long term

weight control is not possible by simply taking diet pills

• “If you have not solved the problem that caused you to be overweight in the first place, the weight will return.”

HOW YOU SHOULD LOSE WEIGHT

• Diet pills may help you get started on losing weight• In the long run, it’s about making

lifestyle changes• Instead of relying on pills, change

eating and exercising habits

Sources:• http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_pills.php• http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medicatio

n/diet-pill.htm• http://www.pamf.org/teen/risk/drugs/stimulants/diet

pills.html• http://www.dietpills-information.com/• http://www.healthreserve.com/diet_pills/

diet_pills.htm• http://www.science20.com/erin039s_spin/

real_deal_behind_diet_pills-34359• http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/01/

prescription-diet-pills-history-of-fda.html• http://moderndietpills.com/how-do-diet-pills-work/• http://www.diet-pills.cc/diet-pill-types.html