No Shortcuts to Health and Weight Loss

For some, losing weight is a never-ending battle that entails personal and social consequences. Being overweight is now a health problem for about two-thirds of the current U.S. population. Being overweight and obese increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and some forms of cancer, and other diseases. As a social problem, being obese or overweight makes a person more susceptible to ridicule and name calling. In fact, it is now common to hear friends and relatives greet each other by saying, ?Oh! You gained weight!? The more complimentary form is when people greet others by saying, ?Wow! You look like you've lost a lot of weight!? Either way, the subliminal message of these greetings point to society's obsession with physical beauty. No wonder, many overweight and obese individuals struggle with maintaining their confidence and self-esteem in the face of society's aesthetic demands.

Due to these health risks and social consequences, more and more people are now becoming more conscious about their figure and lifestyle. Fitness and health industries are now experiencing a business boom due to the sheer number of people who want to shed excess weight. Somehow, even the busiest executives and hardworking employees are finding time to break some sweat. A lot of people have also become more conscious about their eating habits to the point that they now count every calorie in every meal they have.

Still, not all can afford the expensive gym memberships, much less have time to run on a treadmill or lift weights. Majority of people who need to lose weight struggle with having to cut down on food intake or in staying away from calorie-rich foods. Lack of time, discipline, and will to shed off those excess pounds has led many weight watchers to a ?quick fix? method --- using so-called ??miracle diets.? While a lot of diet plans offer ?guaranteed? results, many do not have the focus to stay with their eating plan. The effectiveness of the trendiest and most popular diet fad ultimately depends on a person's ability and willingness to choose the right food and amount to eat. It's really not about the recipe...but about the person's desire to cut down on food.

Now, for some, there is an even better ?quick fix? method of going on a diet. Instead of going to the gym and missing out on one's favorite delicacies, some people take weight loss pills. These weight loss pills work by helping reduce the absorption of fat in food that we eat; or act as an appetite suppressant. There are a number of weight-loss pills available at the local drugstore, supermarket, and health food store. There are even weight loss pills that can be bought online. However, the safety and efficacy of these pills have not been adequately substantiated or proven. Some fake weight loss pills are downright dangerous.

Most people have heard of contemporary herbal weight loss pills, such as the ephedra (ma huang) pills or Hoodia Gordonii which are very popular today. In the last few years, hoodia has been heavily marketed as the latest in a long list of ?miracle herbal products? that promote weight loss and over-all health. The ban on certain weight loss diet pills such as ephedra has opened up a new market for Hoodia. The said drug is now sold in health shops and in the Internet in various forms: capsulated, powder, liquid, or as tea. Despite its popularity, there is no published research or random controlled trial in humans to show that Hoodia is safe or effective in pill form. Many of the Hoodia products being sold today are difficult to analyze in terms of purity or freshness.

To provide the public a safer and tested product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a reduced-strength, over-the-counter version of weight loss ingredient called Orlistat. It is a prescription weight-loss medication for adults aged 18 and older. Orlistat, otherwise known as Alli, helps promote weight loss by decreasing absorption of fat by the intestines. The capsules are taken with meals, up to three times a day. This ingredient or pill is among the list of very popular weight loss diet pills. Still, Orlistat is intended to be used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet, and regular exercise.

Losing weight is important to maintain one's health and to sustain a person's sense of comfort and confidence in social settings. People who are still in search for the best weight loss diet pill should make sure that the products they use are safe and FDA-approved. Losing weight should also be done in a very gradual manner. Starving one's self is a no-no. Indeed, losing weight should ultimately be about regaining one's health and not just to attain physical perfection --- if there is such a thing. Losing weight and reaching the ideal number of pounds takes time. There are no shortcuts to weight loss and to achieving optimum health.

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