The tragic death of one Shrewsbury girl has sparked a global alert, causing many Britons to question the safety and legality of slimming drugs.
Eloise Parry, 21, died at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital after only THREE hours after taking diet pills she bought online. Police believe the pills contained DNP (2,4-dinitrophenol), a highly toxic chemical that was once used in French munition - in fact the drug is often used as a pesticide and in labs so how the hell are people getting a hold of these pills and why?
While many of us dream of a miracle diet pill, the bottom line is, there's NO such thing as a 'safe drug' when it comes to losing weight fast. Drugs like this one are lethal.
British Dietetic Association spokesperson, Anna Nicholas agrees. She says, "Diet pills are not the solution to long term weight loss and they can even be deadly. The diet pill market is not heavily regulated and diet pills in general lack scientific evidence to back up some of their claims.
"Generally if taken as recommended in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet most over the counter diet pills will not cause you harm. However, in regard to diet pills brought over the internet, that's another story."
Can popping pills really help you lose weight?
Not without the risk of side effects!
When it comes to drugs like this it's really about weighing up the risks VS benefits. But in our opinion, diet pills are nowhere near worth risking your health for.
NHS Weight Loss Consultant and founder of Vavista, Dr Sally Norton says, "There is only one drug that is prescribed specifically for weight-loss in the UK (the other was withdrawn due to the risk of side-effects). This drug, Orlistat, works by stopping you from absorbing fat from your intestine....therefore you end up taking in fewer calories."
But like they say when it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The downside of a drug like this one? "If you eat fatty food and don't absorb it properly you get unpleasant wind and diarrhoea and occasionally incontinence!", says Sally. Eek we'd pass on that one thanks.
The REAL Secret To Weight Loss?
The best way to lose weight healthily is pretty simple - diet and exercise. Yep, we said it, the dreaded 'E-word'! A little daily exercise (30 minutes, three times a week) and a healthy diet can go a long way. Trust us.
But if you're still thinking of taking a diet pill alongside your a healthy lifestyle make sure you're taking all the right measures before you do so.
Anna adds, "It's best to steer clear of any miracle 'pill' as the chances are it will either do nothing, or in the tragic case of Eloise Parry it could kill you". Make sure to consult your GP before taking any slimming pills and NEVER buy online from an unregistered site.
Slimming down CAN be easy though - but only if you let it be! Personal Trainer at DW Fitness Clubs, Lee Pickering says, "There's no magic pill or fad diet which will make you drop pounds in such a short space of time - working hard and eating well is the only thing which is sustainable and has proven results."
If you want to lose weight and KEEP it off follow these fast, easy weight loss tips below.
Drink plenty of H2O: Not only is water an appetite suppressant but hunger can also be confused with thirst and lets face it, most of us can go a whole day without chugging down a glass of water.
Get active: Going for a light jog, joining a local Bootcamp class or taking up yoga are just a few things you can do to help you trim down your waist. Push yourself to go and let the results do the rest.
Eat nutritiously: When it comes to losing weight people think that shedding pounds requires some type of cryptic code to work! But the truth is, all you need to do is eat whole fresh foods (yep, that's it!). Try to eat a variety of colours each day.
Be kind to yourself: It's so important to get into the right dieting mindset so stop fretting over the little stuff! It takes a lot of discipline to avoid those scrummy biscuits in the tea room but if you do have ONE, it's not the end of the world. FYI: Stress can cause weight gain!
Get enough sleep: It's the one thing we love the most, but probably the least prioritised of all! Start the day off right by making sure you get 7-8 hours sleep each night. When you don't get enough sleep you feel sluggish, run down and you're WAY more likely to treat yourself to a sugary pick me up.
Have you changed your view on diet pills now? Tweet us @sofeminineUK!
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