After crazy diets and useless restrictions, you finally find an advertisement for a pill that can solve everything without the slightest effort. Just like magic. The commercial indicates that in one week you can already see the results. This scenario represents how attractive slimming pills can be, even though it is unreal.
The desire for the perfect body, social immediatism, and social media exposure are some situations that potentiate the appearance and use of these drugs. Many pills are sold without approval and may trigger different consequences.
The problem nowadays
Many people would like to lose weight, but only a minority are looking for the right ways to do this. It is not difficult to find commercials full of miraculous promises. Pictures and text serve their purpose of impressing and inducing the purchase of these drugs, even without evidence.
According to Bruna Nogueira, a nutritionist from the University of São Paulo (USP) and post-graduate in Functional Clinical Nutrition, marketing is one of the main factors that help publicize these products and lead to increased levels of consumption. She notes that the advertisements are usually inviting and connect to the consumer’s problem. In addition, another concerning factor is the sale without medical prescription in e-commerce, pharmacies, and social media.
How the organism reacts
Bruna Nogueira says that it is necessary to separate two concepts: losing weight temporarily and losing body fat, that is, effective weight loss. According to her, the mechanism of action of the slimming pills is related to their composition. Among the different promised effects are appetite reduction, antioxidants, anxiety and stress level reduction, fat absorption reduction, and liquid retention.
Alessandra Novelli, an endocrinologist member of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology, comments that some pills can even alter the body’s hormones. “There are some weight loss pills that contain thyroid hormones, so if someone who doesn’t have hypothyroidism, the lack of thyroid hormone, takes these hormones, they will end up losing weight, because they will get hyperthyroidism”, she explains.
The consequences
The endocrinologist notes that many of these drugs are not approved by regulating agencies and do not have efficacy or safety studies. “People are always looking for a way that seems very easy and these drugs promise that”, she comments. “We are tired of seeing collateral effects and other problems related to this situation in our daily routine”, says the doctor.
Among the side effects, the nutritionist and the endocrinologist highlight:
- Osteoporosis;
- Arrhythmia, strokes, or heart complications;
- Increase or reduction in arterial pressure;
- Hair loss;
- Infertility;
- Dehydration
- Liver and kidney failure;
- Changes in intestinal transit, such as constipation and diarrhea;
- Nutritional deficits;
- Gastrointestinal complications;
Bruna Nogueira exemplifies that diuretic pills, in which there is an increase in the excretion of water through urine, can trigger blood pressure problems: “This happens because the body does not absorb the necessary amount of water and sodium”.
She also explains that another serious problem is liver damage. These pills can have a high concentration of herbs rich in bioactive compounds and lead to an overload in the liver, in which there is no absorption of the demand and the elimination of the excess. Thus, there is an accumulation that leads to liver failure.
The doctors point out that people with pre-existing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, or heart problems, need to double their attention. “They may have an even greater chance of having more serious problems with the use of the pills, so the risk is infinitely greater of having liver or kidney failure after use”, warns Bruna.
What is being done about it?
Alessandra Novelli, an endocrinologist, highlights that currently, no medicine has proven to have exclusive effects on weight loss. According to her, some substances help in the process when combined with other dietary practices and healthy habits. Therefore, most of what is being offered are misleading.
In March 2022, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) released a list of more than 140 pills suspended in Brazil. The decision was announced after a death caused by fulminant hepatitis linked to the use of weight loss capsules. This case is an example of the serious consequences of the indiscriminate sale and use of these substances.
Novelli believes that measures like this can collaborate to reduce consumption. “People end up seeing the consequences of using these things without a prescription and monitoring”, she says. She remembers that weight loss drugs are only a way to help the process and must always be used under medical supervision, combined with a change in habits: “medication alone will not work a miracle”.
What to do?
Bruna explains that only physicians, especially those who are specialized in herbal medicine, can prescribe supplements approved by the national regulatory agency. She comments on the importance of knowing the patients as well as understanding comorbidities, needs, and lifestyles.
The doctors warn that each organism is different and alert to the risks of using these pills. They remind us that to lose weight in a healthy way it is fundamental to take exams, identify problems and have a regular medical follow-up from a multidisciplinary team: nutritionists, endocrinologists, physical trainers, and psychologists, for example.
The nutritionist points out that the best approach is to run away from miracle solutions, to get rid of crazy diets and the use of diet pills. In addition, it is necessary to think about what you are eating. “To achieve effective weight loss we have a key combination: exercise, dietary re-education, sleep hygiene, and taking care of the mind“. According to her, modulating stress and anxiety are fundamental points for those who seek to lose weight and improve their quality of life.
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The article above was written by Karina Almeida and edited by Amanda Moraes. Liked this type of content? Check out Her Campus Cásper Líbero’s home page for more!