Consumers still flock to each new diet pill that emerges on the market. After all, it’s an industry that rakes in over $33 billion each year! Most of the pills still out on the market contain fairly high levels of caffeine, which isn’t good for the circulatory system.

The majority of diet pills contain some kind of stimulant that suppresses appetite and once you go off them, your appetite returns and you begin to regain any weight you may have lost. Also,  what some people fail to realize is that a number of these pills contain amphetamines to control appetite which can raise your blood pressure and seriously affect your heart rhythm. To add insult to injury, they are also addictive.

If you are on prescription medications, it is extremely important to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any over the counter diet pills as they may interact negatively. For example, if you are on medication for depression and are taking a diet pill which contains St. John’s Wort, you could have a build up of the brain chemical serotonin which would cause you to experience nausea, dizziness, or uncontrollable muscle twitching.

If we really had access to a safe diet pill, be it over the counter or prescribed, obesity would be obsolete. But as we see every day, this is not the case and these unregulated, untested, and unproven pills are not the answer. Therefore it only makes sense to follow a healthy diet along with an exercise program to drop those extra pounds. Granted, it’s not a quick fix but it’s a safe fix.

Now prescription diets pills are regulated by the FDA and are only available through a doctor’s prescription. Any side effects are closely monitored and the dosage is clearly indicated. However, these pills are not handed out to people who want to lose 10 pounds. These pills are designed for people who are morbidly overweight.