A $4.6 million settlement resolves allegations that the Obesity Research Institute deceived consumers about the effectiveness of its Lipozene weight loss pills. Ephedra sinica (or Ma huang in Chinese) is a shrub native to China and Mongolia that contains sympathomimetic compounds referred to as ephedra alkaloids. Bitter orange and country mallow contain related chemicals. Ephedra alkaloids commonly are combined with caffeine or botanical sources of caffeine (e.g., guarana, yerba maté) for weight loss. 7 A recent meta-analysis 8 of RCTs showed a weight loss of 0.9 kg (2 lb) more per month for ephedra-containing supplements compared with placebo. However, no long-term data (i.e., greater than six months) on efficacy were available.
Dietary supplements can play an important role in health promotion and the prevention of chronic disease. 10 However, concerns over their safety, dose, and advertising must be considered. A primary concern is that DSHEA does not require pre-market safety approvals for dietary supplements. Manufacturers are not required to disclose any information they have about the safety or alleged benefits of their supplement products. 10 In one example, animal studies showed promise for the supplement hydroxycitrate, the active compound found in the Garcinia cambogia plant. However, a human trial 11 found no benefit for weight loss. Nevertheless, hydroxycitrate is still being promoted for weight loss based on the animal studies.
Step 3: Manufacturing. We made our supplements on a desk in an editor’s office—a clear violation of the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practices. First we measured and mixed the ingredients, then poured them into capsules using our Cap-M-Quik device. Packaging was a simple matter of counting out the capsules and putting them into a white plastic container, attaching a laser-printed label we designed, and shrink-wrapping a tamper-proof seal with a hair dryer. The whole process took about 10 minutes.
To facilitate weight loss, 89% modified both dietary and activity habits; 10% modified diet only; and 1% modified activity only. Of those who made dietary changes, the three most frequently used methods were limiting certain types of food or food groups (87.6%), decreasing portion sizes (44.2%), and counting calories (43.7%). In addition to dietary changes, physical activity and exercise were influential in participants’ weight-loss efforts. Ninety-two percent of the participants exercised at home, and about one-third exercised with a group (31.3%) or a friend (40.3%). Women were more likely to report participating in walking and aerobic dancing, and men were more likely to participate in competitive sports and weight lifting.
But how do weight loss tablets work? Well, if you’re not certain about exactly what fat burners are, you might be hesitant about using them. But diet pills can be very valuable to augment your already existing nutritional and exercise routine. Put simply, weight loss supplements are a medical product which raises your body’s natural metabolism. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns energy. Believe it or not, all of us have different metabolisms and therefore expend energy at varying degrees. So how can diet pills help? These products don’t attack the fat themselves. Instead, what they do is enhance your natural ability to burn fat yourself.
Natural Weight Loss 