It is not uncommon for many of us to begin a diet program without conferring with a dietitian or physician discussing the desired outcome and planning the necessary steps to reach the goal. The school of thought is that any diet program that will help shed pounds is a good one. However, the wrong plan can end up causing more harm than good. According to some recent studies, dieters who take on a particular plan or decide to take non-prescription diet pills that may not be a good match for them run the risk of suffering complications. In order to avoid these types of problems, it is important to be cautious when deciding on a weight loss program, or deciding whether or not to take diet pills.
Always try to consult a physician or licensed dietitian before starting any weight loss program. And rather than using over the counter diet pills, it is much better to use prescription pills under the direction of your physician. Remember, the aim with any weight loss plan should include improved health. Whenever you begin a diet, remember to keep the goal of a healthy body in mind in order to avoid serious problems down the road.
Why Are Prescription Diet Pills Different?
It is important to understand that prescription pills, unlike those purchased over-the-counter, are regulated medications that require a physician's prescription. There are strict regulations on dispensing these drugs, and medical professionals may only prescribe diet drugs under specific conditions and when the patient's life is not threatened. These pills are prescribed only when the dieter meets specific criteria. Some prescription diet pills can interfere with or even reduce the efficacy of other medications, and the physician needs to determine if the medications the dieter is currently taking can be sabotaged by adding diet medicines.
Safety and Efficacy
Before they can be FDA approved, prescription diet pills go through intensive laboratory testing programs to be sure they are safe when taken as directed. Because of this thorough testing procedures and research, these drugs have been found to be effective when combined with a sensible diet and moderate exercise.
Many dieters have had excellent results using these pills together with a proper diet and exercise over a predetermined period of time. Still, like all medications available today, they can cause side effects in some people, which makes supervision from your physician that much more important.
