A Diet Myth Revealed: The New Accelerated Diet Plan - The New Accelerated Diet Plan | Google Groups

A Diet Myth Revealed: The New Accelerated Diet Plan - The New Accelerated Diet Plan | Google Groups

When It Comes to Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, it’s best to play safe

Last Updated Sep 2009

by Sophie Kelly
HUMANS can be very impatient. We like things ‘to-go’ and for them to happen instantly. We don’t like waiting around, especially when it comes to weight loss.
We all know what we have to do to achieve the hockey-stick-turned-sideways-look, but we still go in search of an alternative that’s easier and faster than the tried and trusted eating healthily/ exercise route.
The diet industry is now a multibillion-dollar enterprise, one whose existence depends on our failures. Research shows that 90 to 95% of dieters regain their weight loss. And once they do, they are back on the hunt for a new ‘eating programme’ as it’s now fashionably called, to get rid of their lumps and bumps ASAP. There are no official statistics for spending on diet products, but estimates vary from $40bn to $100bn in the US alone.
While most fad diets have reached saturation point in the last ten years, diet pills are having a bit of a revival.
About 30 years ago, amphetamine slimming pills were all the rage. But doctors discovered that they weren’t as fantastic as first thought. Little, if any, weight was kept off, while some of the women taking them became addicted. Research has now linked the pills with long-term health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
Some US Food and Drug Association (FDA)-approved appetite suppressants are currently on the market for the long-term treatment of obesity, but they are only available on prescription, and those who take them are under strict supervision. So, the drugs fell out of favor with the world - until now.

Companies have fought back, and are now selling over-the counter diet pills. However, there is a problem. Not enough research has been carried out on most of them. The companies that create these pills generally have no idea how they are going to affect an individual after long-term use. In fact, whether the individual will keep the weight off is generally unknown.

The newbie to the market is a product called Alli which descended onto Irish shelves last April to much hype, and was even endorsed by some health experts. It is the only FDA-approved, over-the-counter weight-loss aid. Otherwise known as Orlistat, it works by absorbing fat, as part of a weight-loss diet, and can cause adverse reactions if taken without changes to your diet or lifestyle. Its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, estimates that since its introduction, about 50,000 Irish people are already using the product.
Available to those who have a body mass index of 28 or higher, Alli promises to help you lose 50% more weight than if you were going it alone. And at a price of .38.08 for 42 tablets, it sounds like the miracle we’ve all been waiting for.
However, last week, Alli made national headlines once again, when The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) revealed that it has received six reports of adverse reactions associated with it. And the FDA in America is beginning to review the drug after it received 32 reports of liver damage, with six cases resulting in organ failure.
Not so pill-tastic now. Alli are standing firm though, and believe that if people adhere to the diet plan, they will be far less likely to suffer from any kind of compliant.
You may be thinking ‘OK, so I may not want something mainstream, chock-full of chemicals, but herbal diet pills have got to be good for you, right?’ And in some cases, sure, they are. But herbs, or the wacky baccy as The Mammy likes to call it, can be very powerful, and some prescription drugs are made from herbal extracts. Some herbs can interfere with other medications you may be taking, and can even be fatal, if not used correctly. So, the best thing to do before taking them is to get advice from your doctor.

Even with all the warnings in the world, people don’t seem to care. They simply want to know if the pills work for them, rather than looking at their diet. Some do, and some don’t, but I think Gillian McKeith was right

- you are what you eat.