home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- $Unique_ID{BRK01159}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Are Diet Pills All That Bad?}
- $Subject{diet pills hazards Community Social lifestyle lifestyles dieting
- diets pill exercise amphetamine dry mouth dilated pupils dizziness heart
- palpitations irritability insomnia depressed paranoid}
- $Volume{Q-23,R-26}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- Are Diet Pills All That Bad?
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- QUESTION: I have been dieting for the better part of my adult life, and know
- that I can't make any progress without a little help from my doctor. However
- he is most negative about such pills, and keeps trying to counsel me to do it
- by diet and exercise alone. What is the scoop, are diet pills all that bad?
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- ANSWER: Diet pills, both the older amphetamine types and the newer ones,
- should be taken only with extreme caution and under the care of a qualified
- physician. If you have a family or personal history of psychosis or substance
- abuse, you probably should not take diet pills at all. If emotional problems
- develop while you are taking diet pills, talk with your doctor without delay.
- Discontinuing the pills and psychiatric help will avoid further problems.
- The more common side effects of diet pills are dry mouth, dilated pupils,
- dizziness, heart palpitations, irritability and insomnia. Some people who use
- diet pills become depressed, paranoid or have unusual blood cell effects.
- Knowing all this, why would anyone take diet pills? Some people are
- willing to take the risks they pose, because the lure of a "quick fix" for
- their weight problems is too much to resist. There are many people who feel
- as you do, that without some "help" they are faced with the possibility of
- failure when trying to lose weight. At the risk of sounding quite boring, I
- must remind you that the only way to solve a weight problem is to cut down
- your calorie intake and increase your exercise. Certainly, using diet pills
- as a temporary aid to get started can be an essential help, particularly when
- you are under medical supervision, but the real success will come when you
- make these changes a regular part of your life. Then you'll see a weight loss
- that is healthy and permanent.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-
-