The Dangers of Diet Aids
About a month ago, I stepped onto my bathroom scales. When I looked down at the numbers, my fears were confirmed: I had gained 5 pounds. Overcome with a desire to shed this unwanted extra weight, I decided to join millions of Americans just like me, and buy some sort of diet aid to help me along. I had no idea what to look for, what to avoid, and possible side effects, so I began to research the different types of diet aids, both chemical and herbal, and was hit with some very disturbing facts. It has been estimated that nearly 10 million women in the U.S. buy over-the-counter diet aids.(Cottrell, 99) Diet aids come in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, powders, milkshakes, herbal teas, and candies. They work in one of two ways, either by suppressing the appetite or by producing a feeling of fullness that encourages the eater to limit her food consumption.(Cottrell, 99) This feeling of fullness is often brought about by the ingredient guar gum, which forms a gel in the stomach. It has not been proven, though, that guar gum has a benefit for weight reduction.(Cottrell, 99) Amphetamines, which suppress the appetite, are a common ingredient in many over-the-counter diet aids. They are a
weight loss, and depression also result from regular use. When people stop using amphetamines abruptly, they may experience fatigue, long periods of sleep, irritability, extreme hunger and depression.(Cottrell, 101) The length and severity of the depression seems to be related to how much and how often the amphetamines were used.(Cottrell, 101) Lemonick, Michael D. "Dark Side of Diet Pills." Time 22 September 1997: 81. Williamson, Madeleine J. "Herbal Diet Aids: Are They a Safe Alternative?" Cosmopolitan August 1998: 74-78. because of more deadly side effects. Fenfluramine has a connection with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), a disease that kills the majority of people who get it.(Kramer, 206) PPH is when the seratonin that the drugs keep flowing through the brain, making the Many people are under the misconception that "natural" diet aids are better to use than chemical. Often their side effects can be just as harmful. Natural diet aids suppress the appetite by filling the user up with a mixture of grain and citrus fiber, making her feel full.(Cottrell, 101) Potentially dangerous herbal diet aids contain ephedra, also known as ma huang.(Fraser, 62) Ma huang, especially in combination with caffeine, can drive up blood pressure or cause seizures or strokes and has been implicated in more than two dozen deaths.(Fraser, 66) The Food and Drug Administration recently
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Approximate Word count = 1548
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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