Do Diets Work?

Are you on a diet?  

If your answer is no then relax, you are in the majority.  Even though it seems like everywhere you go someone is talking about their diet.  According to Picchi, only about 19% of American adults are dieting.  In 1991, about 33% of Americans were dieting.  Today, people have adopted a more nutritious and health conscious lifestyle.  Instead of first popping a pill, Americans are choosing to eat more vegetables and fruits to replace fattier empty calorie foods.  Almost every food you can imagine has a healthy alternative.  Even when someone says they are dieting, what they really are doing is consuming healthier foods.  Making better choices is more economical and creates longer lasting results without some of the typical side affects one may encounter from taking pills and potions.

Picchi’s said in his survey, only 22% of people agree that slimmer people are more attractive.  This tells us that the perception of being overweight is changing and being a little "thicker" is becoming more acceptable.

So, if fewer people are dieting, why are there so many new diet pills popping up on the shelf?  Do these pills work?  Diet pills come in numerous forms: prescription drugs, over-the-counter and herbal supplements.  
  
Prescription drugs are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and must be prescribed by doctor and gotten from a pharmacist.  These drugs are only given to those that are obese or that may have severe health issues.

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are regulated and can be purchased without a doctor’s approval.  Watson says these pills normally contain a substance containing PPA (phenylpropanolamine).  PPA can be harmful and potentially cause strokes and other heart related problems.  Examples of OTCs are Xenodine, Dexatrim and  Hydroxycut. 

Unlike the other pills, herbal supplements “are not regulated by the FDA because they are considered foods.”  Common ingredients used in supplements are caffeine, green tea, and guar gum and psyllium.” 

These diet drugs make-up a multibillion dollar industry in the US alone.  Now, the operative question is does these drugs work?  That is a hard question because not all drugs are designed to do the same thing.  Some drugs will help you to lose weight but very few will help you to keep the weight off.”

Virtually all diet pills will work for a short time.  No pills can be taken for extensive periods of time and in most cases 6 months is the maximum time to take pills.  Diet pills will work, but they do not always give lasting results.

This information will help develop my industry research because often people want a quick fix for their diet problems.   The diet pill industry is a multibillion dollar industry and some businesses are more concerned about the money than they are about the individual.  The dieter has the responsibility to be as knowledgeable as possible about the pills they are taking --- if they chose that route for better health.