Diet control, is one of the primary problem facing the world citizenry; more so women. This is because; majority of individuals always want to maintain body shapes or physiques they consider perfect. Hence due to this reason, majority of individuals will always use any means at their disposal to ensure they attain their ultimate weights, with little consideration of the nature of side effects, which may result due to adoption of some weight reduction strategies.
The primary methods used by majority of individuals in their endeavors to reduce weight include reducing eating portions, use of dietary pills, and in extreme cases some individual may opt to starve themselves, with little contemplation of what such a practice may result in. The fact is even worse with the enticing adverts in most diet control pills, due to the fact that, most individuals consider them more effective and fast in achieving end results.
Although such is the case, it is important to note that, majority of diet control pills have adverse effects on individual health, if such individuals never take precaution in their usage. This is because; due to the impatient nature of most individuals, most assume that, by consuming excess of them, they will achieve faster and better results.
Therefore, this makes it necessary for governments to increase regulations on the sale and use of such dietary medicines primarily because; in most uncontrolled scenarios, likelihoods of misuse and abuse are high. Such regulations should target the sellers and buyers, and it is very important for governments to implement specific measures to ensure, users and sellers adhere strictly to the set laws and regulations.
Why Increase Regulations on Diet Pills
As Watson (p.1) argues, majority of diet control pills have “extraordinary” promises, as concerns loosing weight, something, which most individual take without investigating the truth behind such advertisements. Such investigations are crucial before buying any dietary pills primarily because; historically medical researchers have associated most of them with many health complications, more so heart ailments.
In addition, although content-wise, majority of manufactures assure consumers that their products do not contain even trace amounts of products considered harmful for human consumption; caffeine and ephedra, in most cases, such assurances are mere lies meant to act as baits on consumers. This therefore makes it important, for governments to increase regulations as concerns there sale and use as an important remedy of avoiding instances of overuse and misuse by majority of individuals.
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governs the sale and use of some diet medication for example, Xenical and Meridia, majority of other drugs that are easily obtainable from chemists have no regulatory mechanisms. The fact is even worse, when it comes to the sale and use of herbal medications aimed at achieving the same end results.
In addition to heart problems for example, stroke, majority of these drugs can lead to other health complications, which include electrolyte disorders, bloating, dehydration, and in extreme overuse cases, death. This is because; majority of these drugs disturb many bodily functions for example, the water retention process, which in turn affects the mineral balance system (Dahl p. 1 and Ziporyn, Eisenstat, and Carlson p. 334).
On the other hand, some medication considered effective in weight loss contain a cancer associated causative agent namely epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Although many medical researchers associate this substance with activation and boosting of the body’s metabolic processes, it is important to note that, likelihoods of cancer occurrence are high in case consumers of these medication abuse drugs they are using, as a remedy to their weigh problems (Barnes, p.1).
Another main reason why there should be increased regulation of these drugs is that, just like any other stimulating drug, these pills are very addictive; hence, majority of users will develop an over-using habit that is uncontrollable. Enactment of control laws will ensure there is greater control of their use more so to individual who suffer from many eating disorders for example, anorexia.
Although primarily obesity results from excessive accumulation of fats in body tissues, it is important to note that, such fats are important when it comes to other metabolic process. This does not mean that, individuals should not control their body weights, but rather it means there is need for one to control the rate of using such pills.
This is because in extreme abuse cases, the pills may hinder the fat absorption process and may cause many other digestive problems. This case is very prominent with individuals who use laxatives as a remedy to their weight problems whereby, majority of them do not know that, most laxatives do not treat what they claim to.
For example, medical researches have proved that the most preferred weight control drug Ipecac has little significance, when it comes to weigh loss. The same is the case in other laxatives for example, Correctol and Ex-lax. Therefore, to ensure there is maximum protection of consumers of these drugs, in terms of control of their sale, it is important for the government to improve laws, which manage the distribution of such drugs (Eating Disorders Shared Awareness p.1).
Conclusion
In conclusion, considering the nature of many dangers associated with many dietary drugs; due to the fact that most of them have substances prohibited by FDA, it is important for the federal government to enact more laws on the sale of such drugs. On the other hand, because majority of individuals have a notion that, overdose will give them better results; and due to the addictive nature of most of the medication, there is need for review of laws, which will act as regulatory measures to tame their misuse.
Works Cited
Barnes, Karen. Disadvantages of weight loss supplements, 2007. Web.
Dahl, Melissa. Diet pill’s icky side effects, keep users honest: threat of embarrassment Forces all users to eat healthy-or else. MSNBC. 2010. Web.
Eating Disorders Shared Awareness. Dangerous methods of weight control. EDSA, 2009. Web.
Watson, Stephanie. How diet pills work. HSW. 2010. Web.
Ziporyn, Terra, Eisenstat, Stephanie, and Carlson, Karen. The new Harvard guide to Women’s health. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2004. Web.