Weight loss pills

Interview: Claire Hughes, Choice
Broadcast Date: January 4, 2006

The Australian Consumer Association's Choice Online tested the top 10 ingredients in 18 different herbal weight-loss products, with suprising results.

Ingredients included products such as extract of capsicum, chilli, the fruit of tropical plants, orange, green tea and white kidney beans.

Did any of herbal weight loss products tested work?
Overall, Choice found the evidence was pretty sketchy. The products do not provide much benefit above what diet and exercise would.

The evidence shows some products may help you lose a bit of weight - only an extra 100 grams a day. Some of the ingredients warrant further investigation.

Are the products safe because they are herbal?
The evidence is limited.

How much do they cost?
One packet lasts between a week and a month. They cost between $17 and $60. One product costs $50, and only lasts between 10 and 20 days.

How can the manufacturers of the products make the claims about how much weight you can lose, if there is not the evidence to back them up?
The claims manufacturers make include that the ingredients can speed up your metabolism, help you burn fat, absorb fat, and decrease your appetite.

But in the fine print, it says they should be taken in conjunction with a calorie-controlled diet and exercise.

Manufacturers also use dramatic before-and-after photos in their ads, but in the fineprint it says these are exceptional circumstances. Regulations now state that only photos that are typical can now be used.

The industry comes under the authority of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Diet pills are regarded as listed products which means they do not have to be evaluated by the TGA, but the manufacturer has to have evidence to support claims about the product.

So what's the advice to people thinking about diet pills?
Be cautious about the manufacturers’ claims. Even the Federal Government's expert body, the National Health and Medical Research Council advises consumers to be aware of the lack of evidence about the products.

The Council says there's no evidence to show they lead to significant long-term weight loss.

What can people do to lose weight?
The bottom line is that you can not buy a magic pill for weight loss. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are what is needed. No amount of dramatic “before and after” photos will change the fact that the evidence behind these pills is often flimsy

(Source seven.com.au)