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diet pills

Difference Between the New FDA-Approved Weight-Loss Pills
health news

What Do You Think About the Two New Weight-Loss Pills?

Is it time for another blockbuster diet pill?
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Is it time for another blockbuster diet pill? Fifteen years after banning popular diet drug fen-phen due to dangerous side effects, the Food and Drug Administration has weighed the risks and approved two new weight-loss drugs within the past month.

The first, Qsymia (formerly known as Qnexa), is actually a combination of two previously approved drugs and suppresses hunger by releasing appetite-regulating hormones and creating a feeling of fullness. The latest drug to be approved, Belviq, works by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. Both are approved for people considered obese or overweight with a weight-related condition, like type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.

In trials that led to these drugs' approvals, subjects taking Belviq on average had a 3 to 3.7 percent increase in weight loss over those taking a placebo, while people taking Qsymia averaged an 8.9 percent greater increase in weight loss than those using the placebo. The FDA hopes that these new drugs will help lessen the severity of the current obesity epidemic and believes that the risks of untreated obesity outweigh any possible side-effect risks of the medications. What do you think of the new drugs? Do you think they'll help, or do you think that diet pills carry too much risk?

Qnexa FDA Approval
health news

Qnexa Up For Approval: Would You Take a Diet Pill to Lose Weight?

Losing weight is hard work, so it's no wonder we're always on the lookout for the next big thing when it comes to a magic diet pill.
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Losing weight is hard work, so it's no wonder we're always on the lookout for the next big thing when it comes to a magic diet pill. The time may be now; the FDA will discuss this week whether to approve a new weight-loss pill called Qnexa.

Qnexa is a combination of two existing drugs: the appetite-suppressing phentermine — aka the safer half of the '90s weight-loss phenomenon phen-fen — plus topiramate, a drug normally used to treat migraines or seizures. Drug trials have shown that obese or overweight people on Qnexa lost more than six percent of their body weight and were more likely to keep it off than those who weren't on the drug.

While it looks like the drug meets the FDA's requirements when it comes to its effectiveness (an average loss of at least five percent of body weight), the agency already rejected Qnexa in 2010 over safety fears — including a higher risk of having a heart attack and possible birth defects if you take Qnexa while pregnant. But since the two drugs used to make Qnexa are currently FDA-approved, some doctors already prescribe the phentermine-topiramate combination to patients for weight loss.

Of course, this isn't the first time a diet pill's safety has been called into question, but what do you think? Do the risks outweigh the benefits when it comes to weight-loss drugs, or will you be first in line if Qnexa gets approved?

Taking Diet Supplements to Lose Weight
Weight Loss

Have You Ever Taken a Dietary Supplement to Lose Weight?

Losing weight is no easy task.
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Losing weight is no easy task. It takes time to find the right combination of willpower, diet, and exercise to work for yourself, so it's no wonder that there's no end to products that promise to help you out. Anything from Snooki-endorsed Zantrex to tasteless, calorie-less fiber that fills your belly without adding calories are currently on the market touting fast results for dropping pounds.

Taking dietary supplements carries certain risks. For one, they aren't FDA-approved and can contain unsafe ingredients, and for another, you could just be wasting your money on buying expensive pills that aren't effective (one of the main ingredients in Zantrex, for example, is just lots of caffeine). Have you ever tried them?

Health Risks of Diet Pills
Weight Loss

The Health Risks Associated With Diet Pills

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, right?
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diet pillsIf it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, right? I always find the infomercials produced by diet pill companies entertaining; you know, the ones where they promise significant weight loss in just one to two weeks. I'm sure if I drastically restricted my food intake and took appetite-suppressant medications for seven or more days, then these claims might not be so far off. But at what cost?

When we surveyed you all on this topic a while back, many of you answered that you had tried diet pills before. Although I'm not part of this group, I've often wondered if these pills are worth it — and by worth it, I mean, are they worth enduring some of the less than desirable side effects like cramping, gas, diarrhea, and increased blood pressure and heart rate to shed pounds the "quick fix" way? What happens when you stop taking the pills? And are the pills that are supposed to be used in conjunction with physical activity and a well-balanced diet any better?

Keep reading to learn more on the health risks associated with these drugs.

Whoopi Goldberg Passes Gas While Talking to Dr. Oz on The View
POPSUGAR Entertainment

Whoopi Goldberg Gets Gassy With Dr. Oz

Dr. Oz couldn't leave The View today without dispensing some helpful diet tips. He talked about a fiber tablet that he thinks everyone should take before meals that will help to curtail the amount of food your body will want to eat during the meal. The only drawback to the pill is that it may leave a person feeling gassy.
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Dr. Oz couldn't leave The View today without dispensing some helpful diet tips. He talked about a fiber tablet that he thinks everyone should take before meals that will help to curtail the amount of food your body will want to eat during the meal. The only drawback to the pill is that it may leave a person feeling gassy. Whoopi had no problem with this side effect and let everyone in the studio know about it.

Kim and Khloe Kardashian Discuss Being Curvy at Bebe Clothing Launch
Poll

Kim and Khloe Kardashian Had to Learn to Embrace Their Bodies — Did You?

This week, Kim and Khloe Kardashian revealed to Us Weekly that they didn't realize how beautiful their curves were until they were adults.
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This week, Kim and Khloe Kardashian revealed to Us Weekly that they didn't realize how beautiful their curves were until they were adults. Kim says:

"I never knew to embrace curves. I looked at my aunt and cousins and saw these Armenian women with big butts and boobs, and I didn't really realize how attractive it actually was then. Your perspective grows."

Despite gaining a new perspective as an adult, Kim says that her parents raised her to feel comfortable in her own skin. Khloe added that because of the support from her family she never considered herself as overweight.

"I'd always be in tight dresses. In my head I did not think I was ever fat. Other people did, but I didn't think I was — ever! Because of my family base, I always accepted my natural shape or what I thought it was. I appreciate it now and I want to help other people."

The sisters' way of helping people continues to be promoting QuickTrim diet products though, which I think is a major disappointment. Given that the sisters are always seen working out, it makes more sense to credit exercise and a healthy diet for their weight loss. But given how many people seem to love them, I think it's great that they have always said it's OK to be curvy. Tell me . . .

Have You Ever Tried Diet Pills?
Poll

Have You Ever Tried Diet Pills?

As of last Friday, Hydroxycut diet aids have been voluntarily recalled after a warning from the Food and Drug Administration.
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As of last Friday, Hydroxycut diet aids have been voluntarily recalled after a warning from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA had received 23 reports of "serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplants" after using the supplement.

Hydroxycut pills, drinks, and powders are promoted as weight loss supplements that increase energy while boosting the metabolism. If you are using any Hydroxycut products, the FDA urges you to stop using them.

I am not a fan of diet aids as they represent a "magic pill" approach to weight loss, when I believe that losing weight requires sustainable lifestyle changes. However, we are a society hoping to have our cake and eat it too, and diet pills represent a quick fix. I am wondering . . .

Source

Wynonna Judd Uses Alli Diet Pills — Should You?
Celebrity

Wynonna Judd Uses Alli Diet Pills — Should You?

Wynonna Judd has been struggling with her weight both in and out of the public eye.
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Wynonna Judd has been struggling with her weight both in and out of the public eye. In 2003, she opened up to Oprah about how her cholesterol levels were putting her at risk for a heart attack, and three years later, she checked into a treatment center for food addiction. Wynonna will be turning 45 in May, and she recently opened up to People magazine about the changes she's making to become more healthy.

Wynonna is planning ahead for meals, cooking more at home, and taking walks with her children. She is also taking Alli over-the-counter diet pills to lose weight, and is even a spokesperson for the diet aid. These pills act as a fat blocker, preventing your body from absorbing a quarter of the fat you consume. To find out more about Alli and see if it's effective at losing weight, read more

Is Hoodia Safe For Appetite Suppressant?
Weight Loss

Is Hoodia Safe For Appetite Suppressant?

When it comes to losing weight, I'm very wary of appetite suppressants.
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When it comes to losing weight, I'm very wary of appetite suppressants. For one, I don't think popping pills instead of eating is healthy whatsoever, and I also worry about the effects of these pills on the body. One such pill, Hoodia gordonii (called hoodia for short), is gaining popularity. It's a cactus-like succulent plant only found in southern Africa, and it's been used for centuries by bushmen who needed to control their hunger on long journeys. South African scientists tested this plant and found it contains a molecule that seems to prevent hunger, which they call P57. The scientists patented this compound to use as a diet aid and licensed it to a British pharmaceutical company, Phytopharm. Scientists from Phytopharm say "P57 acts on the brain in a manner similar to glucose. It tricks the brain into thinking you are full even when you have not eaten. It reduces interest in food, and delays the time before hunger sets in." Interesting.

To find out if it's safe read more

Over the Counter Alli: Cool or Not?
Poll

Over the Counter Alli: Cool or Not?

Do you guys remember me telling you about Alli the first OTC Diet pill approved by the FDA?
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Do you guys remember me telling you about Alli the first OTC Diet pill approved by the FDA? The one that causes anal leakage? Remember?

Personally, I was hoping it would never really happen, but it has been announced the pills will go on sale on June 15th, 2007 at drugstores nationwide. I am curious if I am the only one that thinks the FDA should focus a little more on tainted foods hitting shelves in grocery stores than giving us another reason not to exercise and eat healthy. Oh wait; Alli claims that it’s only for you if you can commit to eating more sensibly and getting more physically active. Why can't we commit to doing that without anal leakage? Maybe I am a cynic, but what do you guys think about it?