Prescription weight loss pills do their job, but the price is high.

Prescription weight loss pills are completely different from non-prescription weight loss medicines. The difference does not lie in their potency (though they often use highly effective substances), but in the fact that the risk of scam in prescription is nonexistent. While non-prescription drugs often do not work or even pose a serious threat to your health, prescription-only weight loss pills have all been approved by FDA as working and are RELATIVELY safe.

Why relatively? Because due to their ingredients, you risk facing serious side-effects. Let's take a look at the three most commonly prescribed weight loss pills:

• Meridia (sibutramine) - this powerful drug is a distant cousin of amphetamine. It works by increasing the noradrenaline and serotonin levels that should, in turn, reduce hunger. The pills work all right and let the patients loss their weight at an extraordinary rate, but several studies are ongoing now concerning recurring news of sudden deaths, heart failures and rapid mood changes after taking Meridia. While the FDA still treats Meridia as a medicine, an FDA official testified at the Senate Finance Committee hearing that sibutramine might be more dangerous than the conditions it is used to heal.
• Xenical (Orlistat) - unlike sibutramine, Xenical works by preventing the fat absorption, thereby limiting the calorie intake from dietary fats. Taken three times a day, right before the meals, Xenical is able to reduce the fat intake by about 30%. However, its side effects (while less severe than those of sibutramine), are still something you should be aware of. First, you can expect serious gastrointestinal effects, such as frequent or urgent bowel movements or (rarely) face incontinence. Then, recent FDA studies indicate that Xenical may be responsible for six or sevenfold breast cancer risk increase.
• Phentermine - it is another cousin of amphetamine and, just like Meridia, it works by suppressing the apetite. Due to the suspected increasing drug tolerance, FDA recommends Phentermine to be used only for short-term treatments (up to 12 weeks), as after this period the body is supposed to adjust to the drug and it ceases to work. On the other hand, this weight loss pills are relatively safe, as the most serious side-effects are insomnia and psychological addiction (by the way, what does it take to call addiction a "mild side effect"?).

As you see, even the strongest prescription weight loss pills are far from being the "miracle pills". And in case of over-the-counter drugs the situation is even worse. Whether you like it or not, the healthy diet and doing exercises are the only way to lose your weight safely. At least unless you're obese - then the drugs can help you lose weight quickly, giving you some room to play with diets and to change your lifestyle. That's hard and time-consuming, but that's the only way.

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