Vitamin supplementation for weight loss and understanding weight loss drugs: A guide to scientific drug use and nutritional supplementation.

Vitamin supplementation is recommended for weight loss.

During weight loss, whether you reduce intake or increase expenditure, you should pay attention to supplementing vitamins.

You can increase your intake of bread, oatmeal, fresh vegetables, etc. in your diet.

This way, you can increase the feeling of fullness caused by dietary fiber, and supplement B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, beta-carotene, etc. without increasing calories.

Do you know anything about diet pills?

According to reports, a woman lost 9 kilograms in less than 20 days after using a weight-loss capsule.

While she was excited about her successful weight loss, she was transferred to a hospital in Beijing for treatment due to intractable drug-induced liver damage.

Four similar cases of people nearly dying from weight loss drugs occurred in just two months.

Therefore, experts remind dieters to use medication with caution.

First, it is essential to understand the indications for medication.

The use of weight-loss drugs must be in accordance with the indications for use.

It is now believed that the indications for weight loss medication are adults with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 who do not have obesity-related medical conditions, or adults with a BMI of ≥27 who already have obesity-related medical conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia.

It's important to understand that weight-loss drugs are used to treat obesity, not to achieve a slim figure.

Second, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of action of drugs.

Weight loss drugs typically work by reducing food intake through either decreasing appetite or increasing satiety.

These types of drugs include phentermine, amfepramone, benzotriazine, benzphenamine, and fenfluramine.

Secondly, it can reduce nutrient absorption, such as with orlistat.

Third, it increases energy consumption, such as with ephedrine.

According to authoritative reports, although the above three types of drugs have long been used in clinical practice, few have entered the European and American markets. For example, only orlistat reduces nutrient absorption in the second category.

It is evident that authoritative pharmaceutical regulatory agencies have very strict requirements for weight-loss drugs, and users should exercise extreme caution.

When it comes to some traditional Chinese herbal medicines that claim to be "all-natural and without side effects" for weight loss, liver disease experts warn dieters that such claims are purely tempting.

For example, some of the more toxic ingredients include Datura stramonium, Sophora flavescens, and Periploca sepium, while some of the more lethal Chinese herbs include Illicium lanceolatum, Phytolacca acinosa, Cucurbita melon stalk, and Strychnos nux-vomica.

However, when manufacturers list ingredients, they downplay the seriousness of the problem and hide the toxic components.

Those dieters who nearly died suffered severe liver damage due to these kinds of ingredients.

Third, it is necessary to clarify the effective standards.

To determine whether a weight-loss drug is effective, the standard is that the weight should decrease by at least 2 kilograms during the previous 4 weeks of treatment. Otherwise, it should be considered ineffective and the drug should be stopped as soon as possible or another drug should be used.

It should also be noted that when a drug is effective for weight loss, it can be used intermittently to reduce side effects and save money.

As for combined medication, although it is theoretically feasible, it has not been effective in clinical observation, so it should not be used blindly.

Fourth, we must dispel the superstition surrounding weight-loss drugs.

Even the most effective weight loss drugs currently recognized can only maintain the weight for 1 to 2 years after the weight loss, after which the weight will rebound.

Pharmacists point out that this "climbing" of weight is the fatal weakness of all weight-loss drugs.

Therefore, it is unbelievable that some weight loss drugs are touted as "easy to lose weight and difficult to gain weight".

Experts point out that weight-loss drugs can only play a "supporting" role in weight loss, and ultimately, behavioral therapies such as calorie restriction and exercise are still necessary to prevent weight rebound.

Although these non-drug therapies can only reduce weight by 5% to 10% within 4 to 6 months, this negligible weight reduction is not only the only effective measure to curb weight gain, but also sufficient to alleviate the harm of obesity-related diseases.

Are there any magic bullets for weight loss?

Currently, the weight loss drug market is booming both domestically and internationally.

So, is there a magic bullet for weight loss? Medical experts say no.

Although there is no magic bullet for weight loss, people can still choose the following medications as supplementary aids. How do they work? What are their effects? What are their side effects? What precautions should be taken when using them? These are questions that many people are concerned about.

Fenfluramine

It is one of the most widely used weight loss drugs at home and abroad. Its function is to suppress appetite, reduce the absorption and synthesis of fat, and promote the decomposition of fat; it can also promote the utilization of glucose by peripheral tissues to lower blood sugar; it also has the effect of lowering triglycerides and cholesterol. Therefore, in addition to being used for general obesity, it is especially suitable for obese people with hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Anorexia usually occurs after 3 to 4 days of use, and weight begins to decrease after 1 week. A course of treatment lasts 4 to 6 weeks.

Long-term use should not be stopped abruptly; the dosage should be gradually reduced.

Overdose can easily lead to poisoning. Adverse reactions include dizziness, headache, drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea, frequent urination, diarrhea or constipation, and depression. These reactions will gradually lessen or disappear as the medication is used for a longer period of time. In severe cases, the medication should be stopped immediately.

Morindo

Also known as chlorobenzidole.

It is an appetite suppressant with a mechanism of action similar to fenfluramine. It can be used for general obese patients, as well as patients with mild to moderate hypertension or diabetes.

Common adverse reactions include dizziness, headache, insomnia, tachycardia, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and skin rash.

Use with caution or avoid use in patients with hyperthyroidism, depression, and peptic ulcers; contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women.

Amfepramone

Also known as diethylamine benzophenone.

It has an appetite-suppressing effect and can treat general obesity, or patients with mild to moderate hypertension and mild myocardial ischemia. Each course of treatment lasts 1.5 to 2.5 months. Overdose can lead to dependence and may also cause symptoms such as high blood pressure and convulsions.

Adverse reactions include dizziness, drowsiness, palpitations, excitement, insomnia, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and excessive sweating.

Abruptly stopping long-term use can lead to depression and fatigue.

Contraindicated in pregnant women, and in individuals with epilepsy or hyperthyroidism.

Amires

Also known as aminopyrazoline.

It acts on the hypothalamus's satiety center, eliminating the feeling of hunger and thus suppressing appetite.

Its potency is similar to that of amfepramone.

It can significantly reduce the weight of obese patients, and the appetite-suppressing effect can last for 10 to 12 hours.

Long-term use is unlikely to induce tolerance.

Common adverse reactions include headache, insomnia, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting. It can also cause pulmonary hypertension, which in severe cases can lead to death.

o-Chlorophenylbutanyl

It is a long-acting appetite suppressant that has a good therapeutic effect on obesity, and its effects can last for 9 to 24 hours.

However, prolonged use can easily lead to tolerance and dependence.

Adverse reactions include headache, dizziness, dry mouth, palpitations, tachycardia, high blood pressure, insomnia, and diarrhea.

Use with caution in patients with cardiovascular disease; contraindicated in patients with hyperthyroidism, glaucoma, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.

Rydex

Also known as dextrofluoroamphetamine.

It is a new type of weight loss drug that mainly works by acting on chemical substances that transmit nerve information, thereby inhibiting brain signals that trigger hunger and reducing appetite.

It is also quite effective in preventing weight regain.

It has only mild side effects, such as dry mouth, drowsiness, and diarrhea, most of which disappear after a few weeks of medication.

Orlister

It is also a new type of weight loss drug that achieves weight loss by reducing the amount of fat absorbed by the body, and can reduce weight by an average of 8.5% within one year.

Some of the above-mentioned drugs have weight loss effects that are difficult to maintain. That is, the weight may be significantly reduced during the medication period, but then the weight may be regained. This is because some of these drugs are not used consistently, and some people develop tolerance to the drug.

It is evident that current weight-loss drugs are not ideal, and long-term use can lead to adverse reactions, rebound effects upon discontinuation, and contraindications. Therefore, they should be used rationally.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to choose food scientifically, eat less high-calorie and high-fat foods, and persist in exercising. Once obesity is diagnosed, timely treatment should be sought, medications should be carefully selected, and abuse should be avoided to prevent harm.