Deadly Chinese Diet Pills

December 3rd, 2009 |

Author: Diet

In the mad rush to lose weight, some people ignore common sense even if we have been told repeatedly that it takes time, discipline and commitment to create a better body. This explains the appeal of over-the-counter diet pills that offer shortcuts to a new you.

Diet pills are available at the pharmacy, supermarket or health food store and many can be purchased online. But are they safe and effective products? Your friend, neighbor or favoriteCelebrity will probably tell you they are, after all, they use the product themselves.

However, keep in mind that these products are sold as supplements, not drugs. As such, manufacturers do not have to prove anything or pass government standards of safety and effectiveness. This means they are free to make extravagant claims often at the expense of consumers.

"Dietary supplements and weight loss / AIDS are not subjected to the same rigorous standards as prescription drugs ormedicines sold over-the-counter. Thus, they can be marketed with limited proof of effectiveness or safety. Vendors can make health claims about products based on their own examination and interpretation of studies without the authorization of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the FDA can pull a product on the market if it proved dangerous, "according to MayoClinic.com.

Unfortunately, when a product is removed from the shelves, it is often too late. Take the case of SingaporeActress Andrea Cruz whose story was reported in Time magazine:

"By the standards of a mother, Andrea De Cruz did not need to lose weight. But show business imposes strict requirements on appearance, and when the dial on the bathroom scales of actress Singaporean television has spun at over 48 kilos, De Cruz started taking a Chinese diet pill named Slim 10 that she bought from a colleague. Two months later, De Cruz, 28, is near death, unconscious in a hospital in Singapore, said LisaTakeuchi Cullen in her story "Asia's Killer Diet Pills."

To survive, De Cruz suffered liver transplantation emergency. Today, she is still alive even if it needs immunosuppressants that leave her weak and vulnerable to other diseases. But everyone who takes over-the-counter diet pills are "lucky".

"Nobody knows how many people are buying untested products of dubious efficacy – certainly consumers number in the hundreds of thousands if not millions. Inmost harmless, the products are a waste of time, money and good intentions. Some, however, prove to be fatal. Over the past two years, seven women in Japan, Singapore and China have died due to toxicity of the substances they ingested in the hope of spreading crime kg. From different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and ranging in age from 16 to 60, women had one thing in common: I think De Cruz, they were all manufactured in China by taking diet pillscontaining a variant of fenfluramine, an appetite suppressant that has been banned in the United States since 1997 for damaging heart valves. Doctors and health officials in Asia now believe the newer compound, called N-nitroso fenfluramine, can cause liver failure, "said Cullen.

There are no shortcuts to losing weight. To achieve your desired goal, you need to exercise, eat smaller portions and plan your meals carefully to include healthy food choices with fewer calories. If you aretempted to try diet pills, read the labels carefully. One safe brand that will help you lose weight without side effects is Zylorin – a product that speeds up your metabolism, curbs your appetite, helps control sugar levels, and gives you the energy you need to do what you want. For more information, visit http://www.zylorin.com.

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