According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-thirds of the adults living in the United States are obese, and diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the country. There is a mad rush for a way out to decrease weight, and diet pills look very luring, promising speedy results and requiring not much of associated lifestyle changes. According to sources, losing weight rapidly is most appealing to many. Diet pills have made their presence felt in the market, but they are no magic pills that can help individuals shed pounds easily.

A diet pill or a weight-loss pill is a prescription medicine, non-prescription medicine, or a dietary supplement, which alleges to aid in weight loss. A diet pill claims to accelerate the body's metabolism, thereby, facilitating the burning down of more calories. However, according to Judith Stern, a Professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at UC Davis, diet pills always help only in the short run. It feels very magical to lose weight rapidly, but she claims that once the medications are stopped, the weight tends to bounce back. Hence, the efforts made for the weight loss go futile.

There are many diet pills available in the market; but, a majority of these may have side effects and have to be used under advice. Some diet pills include:

Sibutramine: This is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug used to treat obesity. It is a long-term drug that speeds up the metabolism, and claims to make the person more energetic, as it has an effect on neurotransmitters. The use of this pill is not safe in individuals suffering from asthma, hypertension, heart disease, etc.

Alli: It was approved by the FDA to be used in low doses. It was the first over-the-counter diet pill approved by the FDA.

Chitosan: It is also called as Fat Trapper. According to Judith Stern, this pill does not trap fat, but it traps money.

Xenical: This is another FDA-approved diet pill that suppresses the function of the enzyme lipase. Hence, 30% of fat is not absorbed, but is excreted in the stool. This drug has side effects like passing of gas, frequent bowel movements, and oily stools. Xenical might prove to be detrimental, if taken with high fat-content foods.

Ephedrine, Ephedra or Ma Huang: It is a banned product by the FDA. It should never be used as it has led to certain fatalities.

Phenylpropanolamine or PPA: This was previously an over-the-counter diet pill, which had a suppressing effect on the appetite. PPA is never to be used with decongestants. It is now not sold without prescription, as it was found to increase the risk of stroke.

The other diet pills available in the market are D4 Thermal Shock, Phentermine, Hoodia, Estrin D & Akavar 20/50, Green Coffee Beans, and dietary herbal teas.

Pieter Cohen, a physician at the Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Health Alliance, quoted that even though there is not much evidence and research on the safety of diet pills, the storm of advertisements tricks and mesmerizes us to perceive that diet pills are magical bullets that tone down weight quickly.

It has to be understood that there is no fool-proof method to losing weight overnight or in a jiffy. Practising a healthy lifestyle combined with adequate exercise is the only option for a safe and healthy living, rather than the use of convenience products like diet pills that are suspect.