I review all applications for patients joining OTC. I am constantly amazed at the number of patients who mention using over-the-counter weight loss supplements. I have yet to see a patient with long-term success with any of 
these.
Then why do my patients, who are very insightful and intelligent, spend good money for their products? Are they convinced they are effective? Are they desperate to try anything? Are they aware of the risks? Are they getting spammed on the internet or are they watching infomercials at 3 am?
I am amazed when I see a huge newspaper ad claiming miraculous benefits or a B list celebrity touting “medical proof” of a health claim. The marketing must const hundreds of thousands or millions to peddle a $50 bottle of pills. Clearly it works. The sales of weight loss products is 23 billion dollars a year.
The truth is…THERE IS NO OVER-THE-COUNTER WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATION THAT IS EFFECTIVE FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS. Even more, some of them are dangerous to your health. Unfortunately, there is little the medical profession can do to stop the sale of “miracle” cures.
How did we get to a place where ineffective products can be sold? Congress intended to pass a law to control substances that claimed to offer health benefits. Instead, the 1994 dietary supplements Health & Education Act gave free reign for substances to be sold without scrutiny. This is compared to prescription medications which must undergo years of testing before it is approved by the FDA.
So what are the substances and can it cause you harm? Man of these were products where tested by Consumerlab, an independent lab that evaluates products for their content. According to Consumerlab, many products did not contain what was on the label.
“Ephedra Free” products usuall contain a similar compound called synephrine (listed on the bottle as Bitter Orange) plus a load of caffeine. Combined, these can cause significant cardiovascular side effects. For example, Ripped Fuel Ephedra Free contains as much caffeine as 14 colas plus synephrine and Zantrex-3 has as much caffeine as 30 colas a day (or 12 cups of coffee).
Chromium picolinate is a substance that has been around for a long time. I have been concerned about the side effects, including kidney, liver and blood disorders. Part of the complications may rise from a contaminant found in chromium picolinate products called hexavalent chromium. This is the same cancer causing compound that was made famous in the movie “Erin Brockovich.”
There are several other products sold that have shown no effectiveness in weight loss. These include: pyruvate, conjugated linoleic acid and chitosan. In addition, testing of the products has shown either lower or higher amounts in the pills than what is listed on the bottle. Higher doses can lead to toxicity and increased and dangerous side effects.
The hottest product out here is Hoodia. There is NOTHING known about the product, yet is widely used. I will write on this product in an upcoming blog.
The sad thing is that all these products distract from some of the proven treatments that exist. Searching for the elusive “magic pill” enhances the sense of failure and futility. This is just another way these pills cause harm.
From: John Hernried, M.D.
