Do Diet Pills and Supplements Really Work for Weight Loss?

With every passing year, more and more people become overweight. Some have described this trend as an epidemic because of how the population of obese people continues to grow. As it does, the popularity of weight loss solutions grows as well. One of the more popular things that people use to lose weight is weight loss pills.

It's hard to read magazines or watch television without coming across an advertisement for some weight loss pill. You can even find them in your email inbox or as banner advertisements on your favorite websites. There are so many different brands and products that it can be hard to tell which are good.

In reality, some of these weight loss products can actually be harmful to you and your health. They may have side effects that aren't even listed on the packaging. This is because most of these diet pills are classified as supplements. These don't have the same kinds of strict rules that normal over-the-counter and prescription medications do. They can say that their pills help you lose fat and gain muscle, whether or not it actually does.

The kinds of side effects that can occur with diet pills vary. Some may cause digestion issues, such as diarrhea or constipation. Others may have more permanent or deadly side effects, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, or death. Since it can be hard to figure out which pills are best, some people avoid them altogether. Still, there are steps that you can take to make sure that you find the right weight loss pill for you.

First, always consult a physician before taking any diet pills or weight loss supplements. Your doctor can help you determine which diet supplements are best for you to help you lose weight. Second, read the labels. Avoid diet pills and supplements that contain numerous ingredients or "mysterious" ingredients you've never heard of. Third, do your research. Look for websites or books that aren't owned by the diet pill company. This is the best way to get the real information about the product. Finally, make diet and exercise your primary methods to weight loss. While some diet pills may aid in your weight loss, they will do very little in terms of long-term weight loss by themselves.

Although some companies insist that you can use their product without exercise or eating right, these claims are usually false or exaggerated. For those diet pills and supplements that actually work, they only help partially. Take hoodia, for example, a popular diet supplement that helps suppress your appetite; it will help curb your hunger, but you still need to exercise and eat right for significant weight loss results.

Alli is another weight loss aid that comes to mind. Alli has become a very popular over-the-counter medication for weight loss. This product blocks fat absorption in your stomach and intestines. Like hoodia, Alli can be an effective weight loss aid but you still need to watch your calories and stay fit while you are on this medication for optimal results.

Weight loss pills are not the end all be all when it comes to losing weight. Instead, they should at most be used as a helpful addition to your weight loss plan. As experts and doctors have told us for some years, the only true way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you eat. This is most easily done by eating right and exercising. If you feel you need that extra push, diet pills and supplements may help, but be sure you consult your doctor before taking them and do your research to find the ones that will work best for you.

Only authentic hoodia gordonii has the potential ability to suppress appetite. Unfortunately, the majority of the hoodia supplements and products on the market today contain very little of it - if any at all! Supplements are unregulated so it's buyer beware. You can't assume a product contains authentic hoodia just because it says it does.

There are several things to look for to ensure that the diet product you are buying contains authentic hoodia. The two most important are CITES certificates and independent lab test results. You'll find these documents on the websites of those companies who sell authentic hoodia diet products. If you can't find these, it is very likely that the product doesn't contain authentic hoodia gordonii. I could not find these documents on any website that sells or promotes hoodia pops. That is a major red flag.

The other issue is the amount of hoodia in hoodia pops. Most experts agree that most people will need 2,250-3,000mg of hoodia gordonii per day in order for it to effectively suppress appetite. Again, after looking through several websites selling hoodia pops, I could not determine how much hoodia is in them. This is another red flag.

Based on my research and experience with hoodia products for over a year now, these lollipops likely have less than 200mg of hoodia gordonii per sucker - and that's being generous. The amount is likely much lower than that. And again, this is assuming that the hoodia is authentic in the first place, which we don't know for sure. This small amount of hoodia isn't nearly enough to effectively suppress appetite. You'd have to suck on several lollipops all day long to get enough hoodia to effectively suppress appetite!

Having said all this, there is a chance that these hoodia pops could suppress appetite work in the short term. These lollipops may have a placebo effect. If you are told they work, you might actually convince yourself that they do! Thus, you may convince yourself that you feel full after you suck on them. However, this placebo effect doesn't last forever. The other possibility is that the simple act of having something in your mouth may keep you occupied and keep your mind off food.

The bottom line is Hollywood and its celebrities may think hoodia pops help with weight loss, but I'm not convinced. In my opinion these are just overpriced lollipops with a lot of hype. There is no harm in trying them yourself, but just don't expect much!