Besides dieting and exercise, people also use pills to lose weight. There are pharmaceutical pills designed for excessive weight loss. There are drugs like lorcaserin, phentermine, and bupropion which are used for the treatment of chronic weight gain or obesity. They are also administered within a stipulated period.
It is undeniable that these drugs produce results. The physical result of a 10% major drop in weight is attributed to some of these drugs. Nevertheless, on the flip side, they could have done more harm than good to the body. in the light of the above, this article attempts to take a cursory look at medications used for weight loss if they are in the best interest of the body or otherwise.
What’s being obese
This situation is attributable to excess accumulation of fat in the body which makes the body susceptible to chronic illness such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other types of illness. It’s the extreme height of weight gain and an increase in body mass as a result of the presence of lipid cells in the body.
Now, to treat this condition at times, there might be a need to resort to medical pills. These pills are usually designed to impact the burning of fat cells in the body so that results can be visible with a short period which is always pitched at 10 to 12 weeks at the initial stage – can be more than that sometimes. Some of the benefits of this medication include the following:
- Several studies have revealed that patients who are exposed to some of these medications get to shed up to 10 percent or more of their initial weight, though, results may vary from person to person.
- By reducing weight through these drugs, the risk related chronic diseases which the body is vulnerable to reduces drastically.
- Also, there is a decrease in blood pressure, hence, reducing the risk of cardiovascular arrest and heart related diseases.
- There is also a decrease in blood sugar, which also eliminates the possibility of being prone to diabetes
- A decrease in triglycerides which are accumulated fat cells in the body. This leads to a reduction in body mass and a decrease in body weight.
- The possibility of other related diseases such as sleep apnea is also eliminated.
- These can be said to be the blessings attached to the use of pills for weight loss.
Nevertheless, there also exist side effects that are likely to result in adverse or worsened health conditions. Some of the side effects of these pills include the following:
Increased blood pressure and increased heartbeat
Weight loss drugs such as Phentermine can increase heartbeats. This could escalate into other complications such as increased blood pressure in the blood vessels and eventually cardiac arrest and death. Other side effects of the drug include insomnia, restlessness, and withdrawal.
Drug dependence and abuse
Where pills are effective for weight loss, patients have been found to rely utterly on these drugs. This is one of the reasons why relying on pills for weight loss is not good enough. If at some point, administered pills are not effective, they are expected to be stopped. But, patients could go ahead without the doctor’s approval to continue the usage of these drugs and these could be devastating for health in the short or long run.
Depression
Where drugs are not effective and do not show obvious results, obese or overweight could fall into depression as a result. This is further instigated by little or no improvement in their weight coupled with all other psychological problems and anxiety. Depression could lead to death if not properly managed in such patients.
Interference with fat absorption in the body
Some of these medications can interfere with the chemical reaction in the body. Such drug-like Orlistat impacts fat absorption in the body consequently leading to gas and soft stools and oily spotting in patients.
Interference with neurotransmitters in the brain
Some other weight loss pills such as bupropion and naltrexone can interfere with neurotransmitters in the brain hence altering appetite and some other mental coordination in the body. Also, the coordination of the central nervous system may be affected by these drugs as patients could feel numb and a burning sensation in the skin at times. Also, it negatively affects digestion. Other side effects of medical pills for weight loss include dizziness, feeling nausea, vomiting, headaches, constipation, and dryness.
While diet pills may be effective in the short run, it might not be able to sustain weight loss in the long run as what has been effective so far in the maintenance of weight loss is regular and periodic exercises coupled with a hygienic diet.
