Rough Draft #1- ESSAY-Weight Loss Pills

It is estimated that 1 in 3 Americans are overweight and 1 in 4 are obese. Out of an office of 24 that means 8 of them are overweight, and an additional 6 are obese. That is more than half of the office overweight and half at risk of severe health problems. With the obesity crisis in America the "I don't have time to exercise" mind set has many American's reaching for the quickest fix that money can buy, weight loss pills. Although dieters have had success with weight loss pills, weight loss pills are not the most successful approach to losing weight and keeping it off because they require additional restricted calorie diets, they suggest little to no exercise and they have uncomfortable side effects like diarrhea, gastrointestinal problems and the long term effects are unknown.

When looking into a weight loss drug or pill it is vital for the dieter to look at the caloric intake required to lose weight and how long the pills are to be taken to maintain weight loss. Many weight loss pills contain appetite suppressants that do not let natural signals of hunger or thirst relay information, this in turn does not let the dieter know that they are hungry. The problem that exists with appetite suppression is, it interferes with the body's natural way of fueling itself and in turn not teaching the dieter how to successfully read their body signals to live a healthier lifestyle nor teaches the dieter to keep the weight off permanently. Weight loss pills also suggest a caloric intake between 900-1200 calories a day. Generally it is medically advised to stay above 1200 calories unless supervised by your doctor. What most dieters don't know is that by taking small steps to a healthier lifestyle, though taking longer, will ultimately help them reach a realistic and successful goal weight and it will be second nature over time. For instance, a woman who is 5'3", 150lbs and is moderately active will have a basal metabolic rate or BMI of 2218 calories a day to maintain her weight. This amount is the calories burned naturally by her metabolism. If she wants to lose weight, she needs to cut 500 calories out of her diet daily or burn a 500 extra calories a day. In 7 days time this is equivalent to 3500 calories or 1 lbs. This is a realistic and achievable goal just by eating a sensible diet with portion control. When she uses the weight loss pill using the 900-1200 caloric intake diet she consumes less than half of her natural BMI in caloric intake. At this point even with the appetite suppressants most dieters resort to binging to make up the 1000 calories. She will initially drop lbs but she will also have to continue to eat at least the minimum amount of calories to continue to lose weight and keep taking the pills to keep the weight off.

Most dieters feel that they do not have enough time in the day to fit in 30 minutes of exercise. This is another deceitful perk of weight loss pills. Many weight loss pills claim to "burn calories while you sleep" or claim outlandish weight loss by "following this one rule." Many of these are heavily advertised that the dieter does not have to lift a finger and if they hadn't paid attention to the caloric intake rules and eat freely they assume the pounds will just melt off their body with little to no work on their behalf. Many weight loss pills contain high amounts of caffeine, and many, though ban by the FDA still contain ephedra or ephedra substitute and are just a cocktail of many different herbs, botanical's, vitamins, caffeine and laxatives. Many of these are what help the initial weight loss but after they have relieved the dieter of excess water weight and intestinal back up no longer produce weight loss without the strict diet. This weight will also return when the pill is no longer being used, in some cases by double. Just by exercising daily in conjunction with eating with healthy choices, the calories burned will add onto the 500 caloric deficit a day to lose weight and bring dieters closer to their goal without sitting and waiting in the bathroom for the pill to do the work. Also, by combining the two the dieter becomes more in the habit to do 15 jumping jacks during each commercial and will see more dramatic results. They will also be able to keep the weight off without a pill, because they have formed healthy habits.

The most scary of weight loss pills is the side effects. Many of them list of an range of side effects such as, diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, bloating and other gastrointestinal problems. On the heart side of things weight loss pills can cause high blood pressure, heart rate irregularities, sleeplessness, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, death, this isn't even the list if you are taking any other medications or have a medical disorder of any kind. Because weight loss pills are not subject to the same laws by the FDA that other pharmaceutical drugs are, they can claim almost anything on the package, from it will "give you ripped abs" to "it will bust the cellulite off your rear". With little to no clinical studies and solely off their own reviews not the FDA's, the weight loss pill companies are able to make whatever claim they wish about their product, no matter how off base they are. In result, thousands of dollars are spent in the weight loss aid and supplement industry for the new, revolutionary FDA "approved" pill that will make the dieters look like Mel Gibson.

The success from diet pills is nothing in the end next to the potential health risks as a result of diet pills. Dieters will gain the weight back unless they choose to put their health at risk and continue taking weight loss pills. Even when taking weight loss pills dieters can still hit a plateau and gain the weight again. Instead of eating a 900-1200 calories daily, sitting around waiting for the weight loss pill to do its magic, and putting dieters health on the line, a healthier way to lose weight is to live a healthier lifestyle. This is accomplished by simply eating well balanced and proportioned meals, becoming more active in daily life, and making small steps to your ultimate weight loss goals.