Diet pills are gaining popularity with the number of obese Americans being on the rise. These quick fix ‘miracle pills’ claim to cause quick weight loss without dieting and exercising. Unlike the diverse medication options for other ailments there are not many varieties of such diet pills. They also may not work for everyone.

Prescription diet pills

These pills are monitored by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration Center for drug evaluation and research). Available only with a doctor’s prescription, they are recommended only for obese people with a BMI of 30 or more and for patients suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. They include Xenical, Phentermine and Meridia. Xenical also called Orlistat, blocks fat absorption in the intestinal tract by affecting the lipase enzyme.

People who consume Xenical experience side effects like fatty stools, oily discharge and lack of control over bowel movements. Meridia (sibutramine), Phetermine (Adipex-P, Fastin, Anoxine-AM) and Tenuate (diethylpropione) are appetite suppressants which cause more of serotonin and norepinephrine to circulate in the brain. These chemicals then create the feeling of satiety usually felt after a big meal, in the appetite regulator of the brain-hypothalamus.

Consequently you eat less. Phentermine side effects may include depression, increased blood pressure, insomnia, irritability, and nervousness. Meridia side effects include constipation , dry mouth and insomnia. Meridia should not be used by those with cardiovascular ailments.

Over the counter diet pills

These are more in the nature of dietary supplements than weight loss medications. They are available at medicine stores without prescriptions; they are not regulated by the FDA either.Hence there is no credibility about their safety or efectiveness.

The OTC diet pills include Xenedrine, Dexatrim and Zantrex-3 that use a combination of the stimulant synephrine, vitamins and caffeine to help users lose weight by stimulating metabolism and supressing appetite. Earlier they used ephedra which was banned when it was found to be a cause of heart attcaks.

Over the counter herbal weight loss concoctions

Herbal diet supplements like Chitosan are fat blockers, whereas Guar gum, psyllium and glucomannan are satiety promotants. Herbal ephedra, caffeine, guarana, and country mallow increase metabolism to aid weight loss. Green tea, Hydrocitric acid, conjugated linoleic acid and pyruvate slow fat creation.

It may take 4-6 weeks for diet pills to start demonstrating tangible results. Doctors generally recommend these pills only if diets and exercise regimens fail to do the trick. All said these pills crop a lot of harmful side effects and must be a last resort.