I'm of the same mind as Kate on this one. I think there are alot of people who are telling themselves "I'm fat, so there must be some thing wrong with either how my head or my body is working. And if one of those isn't working, then a pill the obvious answer." But in the vast majority of cases, I don't think people are suffering from some sort of thyroid problem or chemical imbalance in their brains. They simply don't have a lifestyle that promotes good eating and exercise. I know that certainly was the case for me.

You know, if the Big News Story next week were about a new wonder drug that cut food cravings and hunger, and lead to dramatic weight loss with very little effort for everyone that tried it, I don't think I would take it. I worry about long term side effects. I remember when Phen-Fen was the Big Thing, then suddenly got yanked because it caused defective heart valve problems in women. Some of these women died.

I know the side effects of eating less and exercising more. I feel hungry sometimes, and low energy. My legs hurt sometimes. This I can live with. I'm also having the "side effects" of generally being at a higher energy level than I had been before, I feel stonger, and I can actually see muscles in my legs now.

Pills scare me. And they are not needed for the majority of people who want to lose weight.

I am going to respond to this even though I am hesitant. I have never mentioned this before b/c I did not want to be judged, but I take Phentermine. I began taking it in Oct. 2004 and immediately lost 15 lbs. I changed my calorie intake, but life was crazy and I was not able to impliment the exercise at that point. Then we moved and I began eating out of control again and gained it back plus 10 lbs in a really quick period of time-ALL ON PHENTERMINE!! I believe it was emotional eating b/c of everything that was going on. I began getting serious about changing my life back in July 05-I began working out with a trainer and doing cardio 5-6 days a week. I then joined WW in Aug. 05-I do still take the Phentermine b/c it helps me stay on track. I am not endorsing a diet pill by any means...but I have an extremely hard time losing weight. As you can see from my ticker I have only lost 7 lbs from July-Oct. I have changed my eating habits drastically and obviously the exercise is a huge improvement. I guess the reason I am posting this is b/c I feel right now in my life I am using the Phentermine as a tool to assist my weight loss progress. I do it under Dr.'s supervision and I'm telling ya...there is no magic pill....you have to change your life drastically. My metabolism is in the toilet b/c of all of the crash diets I have done...so losing weight is difficult. But I believe I am getting ready to make that turn and things are going to start really picking up for me...I just wanted to share that b/c I am willing to bet there are others out there afraid to say anything if they are taking something. Now I do not think OTC diet pills work...but I feel like sometimes some people need a little bit of help from a prescribed diet pill under a Dr.'s supervision.

Marcie - I think the KEY WORDS in your post are "under a Doctor's supervision".

(and by that, I personally mean your PERSONAL physician or specialist - NOT one of those pill-pusher doctors that have clinics all over the place where you go in, get weighed, and pick up the pills and whatever else they can sell you (overpriced frozen meals, fiber cookies, vitamin injections etc)).

Yes....I very much agree!

Kate - that's such a great way to put it I'm going to have to write it down! So true.

First off, I think it's important to dissect the term "diet pills" because it seems too broad. For example, there are prescription "diet pills" and then there are over-the-counter "diet pills". Within both categories, there are many different products and ingredients, some of which suppress appetite, some increase metabolism, some do both, so on and so forth. Even within each subcategory, such as the metabolism boosters, there are many different ingredients that act through different metabolic pathways.

So the term "diet pill" is an extremely broad term that actually doesn't tell us much of anything at all.

Having said that, I think all of them have the potential to be extremely important tools in combating our society's weight problem in general. We must understand that for many, being overweight is not a matter of willpower, it's a matter of genetic predisposition. For these folks, it is a condition that is as serious as any other. As such, it requires much more than simply the will to lose weight. In these cases, prescription and over-the-counter treatments can be very effective.

However, even those of us who are not seriously overweight can benefit from some of these products. Not the prescription-only ones, but perhaps many of the over-the-counter supplements. True, some sompanies are shady, but it's also true the over-the-counter supplement industry has come a long way in terms of the efficacy and safety of its products.

I think what it comes down to, for everyone, is a simple cost-benefit analysis. If you can take a product that provides a good benefit at a low cost, then the question is not why take it, the question is, why not take it?

I disagree that "for many" being overweight is a genetic issue versus willpower. It "sounds good" because then folks who are obese or overweight can place the responsibility elsewhere. And even if someone HAS a genetic predisposition, that doesn't mean they can't lose weight naturally. I think too many people lean on the "gene excuse" by saying "well, my whole family is obese, so that's why I am." And often they never even give non-pill weight loss an honest try because they have found a good excuse not to bother -- or because they simply give up because they don't think they can do it due to heredity. I mean we can't fight genetics, right? It's actually far more likely that the whole family has similar eating and exercise habits.

If "many" overweight/obese people have a genetic predisposition to it, then why is there such a high number of overweight/obese people in the US? Shouldn't the obesity problem be worldwide, then? How come it's only a problem in heavily industrialized, wealthy nations? And before anyone says "ah, but we're all American/Canadian and share the same gene pool" let me add that we are a nation of immigrants from all over the world with hundreds -- if not thousands -- of new folks coming in every day. So the gene pool here is plenty diverse. Could we have an obesity problem because we drive everywhere? Because we don't have to go out and be active to collect our food? Because there's a drive-thru McDonalds/Wendy's/KFC in every town in the country? Sweden is wealthier than the US, and yet very few Swedes are overweight or obese. They are an ACTIVE people who tend to be hikers and skiiers and WALK from place to place. They eat fish and fresh vegetables and whole grains -- good wholesome foods. Where are the "many" genetically predisposed Swedes? Or Finns? Or Norwegians, for that matter? Walk the streets of Oslo for an hour and try and find an overweight or obese Norwegian. They're a rare bird.

I also disagree with this. It's just what the OTC companies want us all to think -- LOL except for Leptopril (or whatever the heck it's called) which "ISN'T FOR THE CASUAL DIETER!!" (ha!). Many of these pills are nothing but caffeine plus a bunch of other stuff that is untested or only marginally "studied" and has vague links to weight loss. And sure, packing your system with horrendous amounts of caffeine (or speed, for that matter) will certainly slim you down. But at what cost? Heck, my mother had a doctor in the 1970s who PRESCRIBED speed to her for weight loss (she had TUBS of it), but that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do.

I agree that for a VERY FEW people, prescription diet aids may be necessary as long as a physician has said so. But for "many?" No way.

Just my opinion.

Editing now to add:

BTW, my birthmother is 400+ lbs at 5'2". When I first learned this, I thought, "Whoa...I guess I'm genetically predisposed!" Which may or may not be true, especially considering the fact that my birthFATHER was built like Larry Bird -- that is, until he retired and started sitting around not doing much but watching TV. He's 6'2", and in photos of him taken in Vietnam, he looks like he'd weigh about 140 lbs soaking wet. And all 4 of my biological grandparents were thin as rails (they were farm folks, and therefore very active). So is the fact that I was 189 lbs (with an "obese" BMI of 33.4) at the time I learned about my birthmother's weight due to heredity? Or could it possibly be due to the fact that I learned my eating habits from my obese adoptive Dad who thought the 4 major food groups were salt, sugar, butter, and bacon? (And who consequently dropped dead one day at the age of 49 of an aortic aneurysm because his poor blood vessels couldn't take his high blood pressure anymore). Who the heck knows....and who the heck CARES? My genes don't matter because I WORKED to lose the weight. And I lost it. If someone is predisposed, they may just have to work harder than someone else at losing the weight. End of story. And that's life. Some people may be genetically predisposed to cancer, excessive ear wax, heart disease, freckles, male pattern baldness, bad teeth, ingrown toenails, or BUNIONS for that matter (my own particular cross to bear). That's just the way it is. Not fair, but oh well.

Kate - I was going to respond...but in reading your post, I honestly have nothing to add (except that your Dad forgot the vital fifth food group: Chocolate ).

And those Leprotil commercials crack me up too "NOT FOR THE CASUAL DIETER" hoo boy...

LOL Mrs. Jim ...yeah, chocolate would be the 5th food group, and ice cream would be the 6th!

^^ Y'all forgot BEER and WHISKEY as important food groups

rflmao...and PIZZA!!

OH and POP/SODA

And Coffee!








Okay, I'll stop now...

With all due respect, you can disagree if you like, but such genes have been isolated. Check recent anatomy and physiology textbooks, or better yet, go straight to physiology journals if you don't believe me.

I don't doubt that some people use it as an excuse to not attempt to better their lives, but the fact that there is a very strong genetic component to being overweight/obese for some people is essentially undisputable at this point.

Not everyone, mind you. Just some.

Because we and other nations like us are victims of our own success. We are societies of great wealth and we can therefore spend much more money on excesses, such as food. In these circumstances, genetic predispositions to obesity become more apparent.

Of course, but that is only part of the problem. One of the other parts of the problem, as I pointed out, is genetic predisposition.

It's not realistic to look at things as if there is only one variable at play and only one variable. In reality, there are many variables at play.

It's unfortunate that the bad apples spoil the bunch, in your mind.

The supplement industry is full of BS companies, sure, but it also has a lot of products that do what they say.

It's not fair to generalize an entire industry because of a few moronic companies.

Hmmm, it couldn't be that you're making those statements because you WORK for a supplement company, could it? (as you posted elsewhere) And you wouldn't just happen to be posting here at 3FC in order to PROMOTE your supplements in the future, would you?