Medications to lose weight: what they are and who can take them
They are commonly known as diet pills. We can find them in many herbalists and stores of nutrition and dietetics, as well as in pharmacies, but very few people know if they are effective or not. While it is true that they can be useful when losing weight, it is a mistake in some cases quite serious, to think that with them the problem will end.
That is, this type of medication can help when losing weight by acting on the metabolism, accelerating it and helping our body to be more effective when burning accumulated fat. But they must always have been prescribed by the doctor, who must follow the treatment and be consumed under the proper medical supervision.
Many people tend to consume them completely free without a prescription, especially because they are supposedly natural products, based on plants and medicinal herbs.
But nothing is further from reality, many of these products do not specify the actual quantities of the active ingredients they contain, so knowing the exact amount we are taking is a somewhat difficult task.
What are the most popular weight loss pills?
Although the pills to lose weight can be interesting as adjuvants when it comes to reducing body weight, in most cases you tend to think that they will be the only solution to the problem. However, very few people really know that this weight loss must be accompanied by a series of changes in daily habits, such as, for example, the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and the practice of physical exercise. But let's go in parts.
In the majority of the occasions, the medicines that habitually are used to lose weight, are the following:
1. Orlistat
Your commercial name isXenical, although it is also known by the name of There. It is a drug that reduces the amount of fat that our body absorbs, acting precisely preventing the absorption of fats directly in the intestine. Therefore, it reduces the amount of calories that, at the intestinal level, are absorbed.
Although in low doses it is a medicine whose sale does not require a medical prescription, it is not recommended in case of pregnancy, breastfeeding, diarrhea and intestinal malabsorption problems.
- Dose:It is recommended to take 1 capsule before each meal.
2. Sibutramine
Although in some countries it is a medicine whose sale is restricted by the side effects it can cause, in other countries its use is allowed. It is considered as a useful drug as the first medical treatment in obese people, and acts to reduce hunger and therefore the appetite sensation. How? Acting on the feeling of satiety, so that it reaches more quickly to the brain.
It is not recommended in pregnant women, during breastfeeding, anorexia, bulimia, consumption of antidepressants and heart conditions.
- Dose:It is recommended to take 1 capsule in the morning, fasting.
3. Liraglutide
Your commercial name isSaxenda. It is an injectable drug that acts at the center of satiety (hunger), so that it decreases the appetite, modifying the sense of taste, and therefore causing the appetites to feel less appetizing when eating them. It can only be used under proper medical prescription.
Its use is not recommended in people who do not present obesity, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Dose:1 injection per day.
4. Lorcaserin (Lorcaserin Hydrochloride)
It is known commercially under the name ofBelviq. It acts directly on the brain's serotonin receptors, making us feel full faster, decreasing appetite and increasing satiety. With few side effects, it is ideal for those who follow a weight loss diet, but can only be consumed under a doctor's prescription.
- Dose:2 capsules a day, divided into lunch and dinner.
Who can take these pills to lose weight?
In the majority of the occasions, the slimming medications prescribed in order to help the person to lose weight more effectively, are only prescribed in people with obesity, since we are dealing with drugs designed for patients who tend to weigh more than 20% -or more- in relation to the ideal weight according to their height.
In turn, slimming medications tend to be recommended in people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more, or with a BMI of 27 or greater and suffer some type of disease related to overweight, such as for example it is the case of diabetes or hypertension.
Images of Istockphoto. This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist.We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesSlim down
