Okay, I admit it. I have taken those over the counter "diet pills." In my younger days, I took them all the time. From the ones that claim you'll lose 10 in 7 days to appetite suppressants, fat banishers and water pills, I've pretty much tried them all. Which is how I know from firsthand experience that it's all a load of crap.

First of all, if it were that easy, and all weight problems could be solved with a $10 pack of pills, we wouldn't be a nation in the midst of an obesity crisis. But even when logic tells you one thing, it's hard to resist something that seems so easy, especially when the claims are so convincing -- and even moreso when you're young and naive.

Maybe I lost a couple of pounds on these things, but usually they left me wired, shaky, and sick to my stomach from their high caffeine content. Sometimes my heart would race, sometimes I could barely keep my eyes open or I was constantly racing to the bathroom -- and who knows what other damage those chemicals and artificial additives were doing to my body.

Over the years I've noticed that some of the ones I once took are now off the market, but they've only been replaced by others with equally tempting claims. Recently, the FTC handed down fines agains weight loss pill companies for making false claims. I'm shocked it took them so long to take action, but I'm glad some companies are finally going to pay for their deceptive advertising.

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• #9 Comment from jkail 
  1/30/07 11:00 PM | Permalink

  Diet pills caused my sister to have heart disease in her 40's.  She was always heavy, so they really didn't help, but she like the "high" they gave her.  She died in 1997 at the age of 54.  I took diet pills and my heaviest weight was 154.  I now have atrial fibrillation.  I believe it was the diet pills during my 20's, 30's and 40's that caused this and my weight with few exceptions stayed in the 150's.  I'm now 65 and off diet pills for 15 years.
• #8 Comment from sadiejhn 
  1/22/07 5:40 PM | Permalink

  YES I AGREE WITH YOU ALL ,DIET PILL ARE A TEMPORARY QUICK FIX, THAT DOES NOT LAST. THE BEST THING IS TO EXERCISE AND WATCH WHAT YOU EAT. I TRIED DIET PILL AND I WAS JACK UP ALL THE TIME AND COULD'NT KEEP MY THOUGHT ONE TO THE NEXT, SO
  LEAVE THE DIET PILLS ALONE.
                                                       CONCERNED FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR
• #7 Comment from danalove 
  1/15/07 8:25 PM | Permalink

  I agree with bigchife-41.To lose weight you have to do it the old fashioned way.Just watch what you eat and excercise.I bought a treadmill four months ago and I`ve lost 40 pounds.I know it doesn`t sound like much for some people,but to someone like me it`s like running a marathon.I have a long way to go,but I know I can do it.When I was 30 I lost 90 pounds in five months easily,but now that I`m 57 I really have to work at it.There is no quick fix and diet pills don`t work.
            Sincerely,
             Danalove
• #6 Comment from ddeanne 
  1/15/07 4:00 PM | Permalink

  Back in the 50's when I was first pregnant I gained weight too fast, so my Doctor gave me Biphetamine for appetite control.  It worked great.  My weight gain slowed down, but I was wired and cleaned continually.  I was ready to scrub the streets with my toothbrush.  But I couldn't sleep, so he gave me sleeping pills. I ended up with toxemia and an early delivery.  Even Doctors didn't know the dangers in those days.  This behavior was repeated through four pregnancies. Fortunate for us, our children were not effected.  Somebody was watching over those babies.  I still stuggle with a weight problem but now know excactly what causes it and will never tempt fate with diet pills again.
• #5 Comment from michellebledsaw 
  1/15/07 1:35 PM | Permalink

  I, too have struggled with my weight. The first weight loss pill I took was metabolife when the ephedrine was allowed and it allowed me to lose about 125 pounds. But my heart was racing all the time and I was in a hurry and I could not stop exercising.  That was back in 1997.
  Now in 2007, I weigh 190 pounds and I feel content. Would love to weigh 170, I know I will get there because all my but needs to do is exercise everyday and leave the bread alone. That's all it is, not willpower,not starve yourself, but to be happy with yourself now. And love yourself.