Weight loss: Pills vs. Diet Programs

Many people consider weight loss as an important goal to achieve optimum health. Both men and women are naturally conscious of how they look, including how much they weigh. Being fat or obese can be quite self-destructive, since it can affect a person's self-esteem and also his self-confidence. By knowing what to eat, and how much should be eaten, people can more or less control their weight. Aside from limiting food intake, people should also regularly exercise and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

But there are people who find it hard to go to the gym or simply cannot resist eating more than they need to. To lose weight, they often look for weight loss pills which they consider to be the sweat-free way of losing the extra pounds. These pills have become popular to weight watchers because of their convenience and perceived effectiveness. Weight loss pills are sold as over-the-counter drugs at local drugstores, health food stores, and supermarkets. Even on the Internet, a lot of these pills are being sold and ready for delivery for eager online shoppers. However, much care must be put into the decision to use these drugs. Many of these weight-reduction medications have not been proven safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. These pills actually contain different components that supposedly make a person lose weight fast. Based on advertised claims about these drugs, weight loss pills decrease a person's appetite, blocks the absorption of dietary fat, and increase the number of calories that are burned by the body. These pills also supposedly increase fat metabolism, reduce body fat and builds muscles, while increasing the feelings of fullness. All these are just unsubstantiated claims and, as such, the use of the said drugs should be done only after consultation with health professionals. The use of unregulated drugs could be dangerous to one's health.
At present, the US Food and Drug Administration has a list of approved weight loss medications for adults. One such approved drug is called Alli, a reduced-strength over-the-counter weight loss pill that works by decreasing the absorption of fat by the intestines. However, this particular medication only works with a reduced calorie, low fat diet together --- and regular exercise.

Knowing that some of these weight loss pills are still not proven safe nor effective, people should consider thinking of losing weight the natural way. Although it would be a challenge for anyone, this would be the safest and healthiest way to lose weight.
There are actually several safe and proven weight loss programs that have been designed for people who desperately need to shed off extra pounds. These diet-based programs cater to different types of individuals who have certain preferences when it comes to their choice of diet and lifestyle. These weight loss programs take time to work and anyone who wants to try them out should have the mental toughness, determined effort, and close family support needed to see through the program. Going on a diet is like reversing or removing lifetime habits of eating and lack of exercise. Weight loss programs such as the Atkins Diet, Weight Watchers, the Scarsdale Diet, the Zone Diet, and the Anne Collins Diet promises weight loss for people who follow the requirements and recommendations set forth in these specially designed regimen. These diet programs, however, all share the same thing: the weight watcher must engage in physical exercises. All these programs have different eating plans to range from low-carbohydrate intake to no-meat plans. Of course, these diet plans have been designed to meet the varied needs and preferences of weight watchers.

When one is really willing to lose some weight, following these weight loss programs would surely be much easier. People can surely lose weight without the dangers of risking one's health by taking dangerous weight loss pills that might not be even be effective at all. By having an optimistic and sensible approach to weight loss, people can lose weight in a healthy way.