Blog #2: Diet Pills: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly..

Since summer is just around the corner (even though the weather does not seem to be cooperating) getting in shape is on everyone's mind. I will be the first to admit, every year, right before summer, I make huge promises to myself that I will get into shape, and exercise everyday and eat right just so I can get that perfect Kardashian body. Needless to say, this plan falls flat. I do not shed pounds, get in  shape, or obtain those washboard abs, but instead find myself going in September with a peeling sunburn and extra pounds! I also know how it feels to have a summer event fast approaching and not enough time to get into shape, throwing a person into the summer blues (yes there is a such a thing!), and so how are we suppose to combat these issues? Well diet pills of course! 

Just kidding. Diet pills are one of the worst things one can do for their body. Because food is such a vital ingredient to fuel our bodies,  by taking any pill/drug which supplements real food would not be a wise decision. Moreover, it would have to contain high risk chemicals in order for it to act as a supplement, and one such example of this is Hydroxycut dietary supplements. Hydroxycut is marketed as a weight-loss pill which has ranked the most popular amongst others in that category. And while it's popularity seems to grow, so does the list of health risks it poses. Seen below are snapshots of the website which will be aimed at specific things which further the product's lack of credibility. 

1) Not approved by the FDA

 Upon opening the website of Hydroxycut, one is bombarded with statistics and photo-shopped before and after images of men and woman that seem too good to be true. However, the thing which stands out the most is the fine print below (circled in red on the picture above) which reads 
" These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Read the entire label before use . " 
By stating that the product is not  approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the product already launches itself as possibly detrimental to ones health.  The FDA is the US Food and Drug Administrator which holds the responsibility of essentially branding products as safe and/or unsafe for use. By not approving a product, the FDA deems the product as unsafe/unfit for users.  Under the FDA website, a warning was placed regarding Hydroxycut which states,
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products by Iovate Health Sciences, Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and distributed by Iovate  Health Sciences U.S.A., Inc. of Blasdell, NY. Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries." (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm155600.htm) 
It is interesting to note that Hydroxycut fails to mention why their products are not approved, but simply (in the smallest visible font) bury the problem at the bottom of their clutter-filled webpage. 

2)Risk of death due to high-blood pressure

 In the picture seen above, the red underlined section indicates that Hydroxycut promises to "increase energy" . Ironically, Hydroxycut does not use any natural ways to do this except filling their capsules with dangerous amounts of caffeine. By increasing energy through the means of extra caffeine, users with a high-blood pressure history, or even those who do not have high-blood pressure, might be heavily at risk.  The FDA website  deems products speciafially with added amounts of caffine as detremental to ones health because they can: 

• Make your heart beat faster
• Cause an uneven heart rhythm
• Raise your blood pressure
• Cause headaches, nervousness,
• and/or dizziness
• Make you dehydrated (dried out) especially after a workout
• Make you dependent on it so you need to take more of it                                            

 
(http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingOver-the-CounterMedicines/UCM205286.pdf)
 
Where the Hydroxycut website fails to mention this information, the added dangerous amounts of caffeine is simply branded as "increases energy". 

3) "Clinically Proven" 

As stated above, Hydroxycut is not FDA approved, and so it is interesting that the makers/distributors of this product deem Hydroxycut as "clinically proven". Seen above is a screen-shot of the website (the red underline marking this particular section), it here that Hydroxycut asserts its potential buyers that it is in fact clinically proven. However, it is instances such as these that one should be aware of before purchasing any health-related products. By claiming that a product is clinically proven does not refer to which clinic, if it is a dependable and reputable clinic and if in fact there was any testing done on the product. beware to anybody searching for health products out there: Clinically Proven does not  = safe to use products!

4) The Before/After Picture

In the picture seen above, the red circle highlights the infamous "before/after" pictures seen with such products as Hydroxycut. Thee pictures are often photo-shopped and displayed in such a manner that they create intrigue and often spark the audiences interests to the point where they wish to "look like that". Well, a hidden fact is not only are those photo's altered in ways that make the image look far more appealing than it is but moreover, in many instances either the before or the after image is not even remotely close to the person's body shown. In one instance, specifically related to Hydroxycut and its marketing directors, the "before" picture seen was actually of a woman who was pregnant, which if stated would cost the product all its viability. 

5) Beware of Laxatives! 

Often in the case of dietary supplements, they are branded as helping one "lose weight" but like the Hydroxycut product seen above, is actually a laxative disguised as a "cleanse". When the website seen above refers to the product as "Gently Flushes Your System", it is referring to the dangerous drug in the body considered a laxative which causes ones digestive system to clean in a forceful manner. 

And so, we come to the end of my excessive, much-needed, nitpicking of Hydroxycut. Needless to say, this product is not safe to use, and below is a video added showing a news feature done on the product to warn users of its dangers. 

Stay tuned for Blog #3! 

xoxo

S