Fat Burners? Diet Pills? Lose Weight? Health?
Go to any health food store (or almost any store for that matter!) and you will see shelves upon shelves of “dieting” aids– Fat burners, diet pills and more. But do these products really help you lose weight? And how do they affect your health?
Most of us remember the Phen-fen fiasco. It all seemed great and wonderful when people were just popping this combination of pills and losing weight- alas the “Magic Bullet“- but when the truth came out that Phen-fen caused heart valve disease, the possibilities of weight loss were overshadowed by fear. Most of us value the circulation of our blood through our hearts and lungs more than a skinny body. Being alive is be more important than being skinny!
And then there are over the counter diet aids. One would think that these would be safe but preparations containing phenylpropanolamine (Acutrim, Dexatrim) in dosages of 75 mg or higher have been known to increase blood pressure to dangerous levels and even cause stroke. Herbal preparations containing ephedrine, also known as Ma Huang, can increase heart rate and blood pressure to dangerous levels, which could lead to seizures, heart attack, stroke and even death! And there are more even–and all with their own reasons to use caution!
You know, there is no “magic bullet”. If you want to lose weight, watch what you eat and exercise. Stop lying to yourself–yeah, every bite counts– yeah, lying on the couch does not burn any calories! Get honest with yourself, stop overeating and start exercising regularly. Your health will not suffer and your body will thank you!
