Should You Be Supplementing Your Fat Intake

Numerous products and diet schemes on the market today promise to make losing weight easier, quicker, and cheaper.

These promises come in the form of: books, CDs, creams, lotions, pills, rings, earrings, body wraps, and body belts, among other devices claiming they can help get you into tip-top shape.

In addition, you can find local fitness centers that offer personal coaches, weight loss groups, food products, and supplements to help you become slimmer, fitter, and healthier.

Why The Weight Loss Industry Is Big Business

In 1992 U.S. residents spent an estimated $30 billion a year on all types of diet programs and products, including various diet drinks and foods. Annually, between $30 billion and $55 billion is spent on weight loss programs, not including the individual products and services used.

Overall, about 70% of Americans who attempt to diet use self-help approaches. While these often short-lived diet fads tend to be positive, many dieters ultimately turn to professionals to help them meet their weight-loss goals.

The Introduction Of Appetite Suppressants

The appetite suppressant was and is designed to lessen a person’s psychological motivation for food. Phenylpropanolamine, or PPA, is one of the most widely used appetite suppressants on the market. It 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®, Slim Down® Vita Slim, Hungrex, and Acutrim. Along with dieting and exercise that promote the overall weight-loss regimen, you must stay on the PPA or your hunger will return and you’ll most like regain your weight.

The Side Effects Include….

The most common side effects include thirst, irritability, palpitation, tiredness, and the jitters. Some of the major side effects include: cardiac arrhythmia’s, intracerebral hemorrhage, acute dystonia, myocardial injury, psychosis, cerebral arteritis, and hypersensitive crisis.

What Are Fat Binders

What about fat binders are they worthy enough for your dieting efforts. It’s derived from chitin, a polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of shrimp, lobster, and crabs. Chitosan is supposed to cause weight loss by binding together the fats within the stomach and preventing them from being digested and absorbed.

Although chitosan can decrease fat absorption, most amounts within fat burners are too small to have much effect on the cholesterol levels. Your doctor can prescribe a number of drugs that can lower the cholesterol.

Quite a few fat-burning supplements can cause various side effects that come with potential health risks. Side effects can include nervousness, the jitters, light headed, dizziness, and more.

So Is Supplementing Your Fat Intake With Drugs Safe?

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell for sure whether a diet supplement is safe since the FDA does not approve many supplements in the first place. One can read reviews to see how the process has affected others, taking those into consideration. About one-third of patients responded well to the medication, but drug therapy is only one part of a lifestyle that includes the healthy eating plan, daily exercise, and appropriate behavior modification.

Basically you have three choices, Xenical (orlistat), Meridia (sibutramine), and phentermine. Xenical (orlistat) is a fat blocker that prevents fat from being completely absorbed within the gastrointestinal tract. The prescription strength is 120 milligrams. Over-the-counter, Alli is the same drug at half strength, or about 60 milligrams.

Fat blockers reduce fat absorption and, as a result, some people are plagued with oily discharge, fatty stools, gas, and/or inability to control bowel movements. These side effects are the result of the fat not being absorbed by the body. Eating a low-fat diet reduces the risk of these potential side effects.

But if your diet is already low in fat, you may see less of an impact from the medication because less fat is there to block.