by Jessica Lofgren

Created on: March 27, 2009

Lose 10 pounds in just 3 days! See a whole new you! Eat what you want and lose weight! These days it's hard not to click on the TV or flip through a magazine without seeing an advertisement that guarantees quick and easy weight loss. From diet plans, to detox treatments, to diet pills every gimmick swears that it has the magic formulation to make you drop from a size 12 to a size 2. But do these weight loss ideas really do the trick?

America has become a society in which we expect a quick and easy fix for every problem. We want to do as little as possible and reap the benefits in a fast and timely manner. Thus the age of diet pills was born. It seems like the optimal solution, right? I mean people take pills to lower their blood pressure or to keep their cholesterol in check, so why not a magic bullet for flab? The simple answer is that it does not work that way. What happens if someone does not take their pills for cholesterol or for hypertension? Naturally their numbers shoot through the roof. Logic therefore implies that when you stop taking a pill for weight loss that those unwanted pounds are going to creep back and take up residence around your waist. Therefore although you may have gotten some short term benefit, in the long run the weight will return.

Why is that? The answer is simple; you have not corrected the problem that caused you to gain weight in the first place. If the problem is that a person is eating unhealthy foods or too large of portion sizes then once diet pills are stopped and they continue to eat those large portions of unhealthy foods then they will gain weight. The formula for weight loss is actually very basic: Calories taken in - Calories expended= Net Calories per day. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. Therefore if you cut out that amount of calories by decreasing portion sizes, eating healthier foods that are lower in calories, and exercise to burn calories you will lose weight. With diet and exercise, you are also making a lifestyle change which has been proved as the tried and true method for long term weight loss.

Diet and exercise are also superior to diet pills in that there are no harmful side effects. Diet pills break down and create effects systemically throughout the body. The effects that are yielded depend on the specific formulation of the pill. Some pills that are supposed to help speed up the metabolism to burn calories at a faster rate also speed up the heart rate. This can create the feeling of palpitations which is the sensation of the heart racing or skipping a beat, or it can also lead to harmful heart arryhthmias. Other pills which work on the digestive system can carry the unpleasant side effect of nausea or diarrhea. Diarrhea can lead to the depletion of electrolytes, which if serious enough can have harmful effects on the heart, muscles, and other body organs.

The unsafe side effect profiles and lack of long term weight loss make diet pills a poor option for those who wish to shed some pounds. By working with your doctor and establishing a healthy diet and exercise routine, you will avoid any unnecessary side effects and be on the path to looking and feeling great!

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