The Diet Guy asked:


What Diet Pills Are Out There For Me? The last 20 years have seen people become obsessed with losing weight, Meaning, they have spent billions every year on appetite suppressants, fat burners, and fat binders. With so many out there which one is right for you!

 

Appetite Suppressants

 

Many people think that their weight problem is caused by not knowing when to stop eating. They reason that if they don’t feel hungry, they won’t eat as much and will lose weight. The appetite suppressant was designed to lessen a person’s psychological motivation for food. Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), one of the most widely used appetite suppressants, affects the hypothalamus, a control center in the brain. PPA interrupts the ability of the hypothalamus to tell the body when it’s hungry. This curbs the appetite and the individual wants less food. By eating less, a person loses weight. PPA is found in Dexatrim, Vitaslim, Hungrex and Acutrim. PPA along with diet and exercise promotes weight loss. You must stay on PPA or your hunger will return and you will most likely regain your weight. The most common side effects include thirst, irritability, palpitation, tiredness and jitteriness. Major side effects include cardiac arrhythmias, intracerebral hemorrhage, acute dystonia, myocardial injury, psychosis, cerebral arteritis and hypersensitive crisis.

 

Fat Burners

 

A fat burner does two things. It acts on the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that helps to regulate appetite. It also causes the release of certain brain chemicals that trigger the body’s “fight or flight” mechanism, preparing it to take action. In effect, the body burns extra calories to be able to respond to a physical or emotional attack. To stay ready for the attack that never comes, the body keeps burning calories even when it is at rest. Until 2004, fat burners usually contained ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin as their active ingredients. After the FDA banned the use of ephedrine in diet pills, some manufacturers began using herbal ephedra or Ma huang. Others used Citrus aurantium (CA) and green tea extract (GTE). CA, also known as Bitter Orange, comes from manadarin orange peels, seville orange juice, and certain types of potatoes. One of its primary active ingredients, synephrine, acts similar to ephedrine in the body. Scientists have said that combining synephrine, caffeine and other substances found in weight-loss products, can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Most health professionals agree that the risks of synephrine far outweigh any potential weight loss benefits. GTE is ephedra-free. Recent studies have found that it may play a role in stimulating thermogenesis (fat burning) and increasing calorie expenditure. GTE contains catechins, which increase norepinephrine levels in the brain and prepare the body for “fight or flight.” In high doses, GTE and caffeine may result in heart palpitations, insomnia, and other negative effects.

 

Fat Binders

 

Fat binders are also known as fat magnets. They claim to be able to lower cholesterol and contribute to weight loss. These products usually contain chitosan. It is derived from chitin, a polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of shrimp, lobster, and crabs. Chitosan is supposed to cause weight loss by binding fats in the stomach and preventing them from being digested and absorbed. Although chitosan can decrease fat absorption, the amount in fat burners is too small to have much effect on cholesterol levels. Your doctor can prescribe a number of drugs which can actually lower cholesterol. Both the British Advertising Standards Authority and the FDA have won suits against advertisers of chitosan. As a result, advertisers must make clear in future that the product had not been proven to aid slimming or prevent weight gain.