man hand holding his nutritional supplemets, healthy lifestyle background.

Medical supplements for weight loss

 

            A person with a slim fit body usually is considered as healthy and attractive, according to most beauty societies and the public in general. Although, in general those with such body features are considered healthy, it is not the sole parameter to determine a person’s health status. Body Mass Index (BMI) is much more accurate to depict and indicate a person’s risk for diseases, compared to body images seen by the naked eye. BMI is measured by ratio of body weight to height. The higher the person’s BMI, the higher risk for the patient acquiring certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer. Since fat is the main culprit for most of these diseases, it is essential for a person to have a good BMI to gain a healthy level of body fat percentage.

            For a person to maintain a normal BMI, understanding of weight management is needed. Healthy eating habits and active lifestyle has become the mainstay for someone with overweight or obesity to lose some weight. Some even swear by medical supplements of OTC (on-the-counter) products. However, in cases that the person unable to lose weight through diet and exercises or both does not seem to work well, physicians might actually suggest them to get medication especially if their BMI is 30 or greater and if their BMI is 27 or greater with accompanying health problems due to excessive weight such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Most commonly prescribed medicines used for weight loss are orlistat (a lipase inhibitor which works by blocking fat from getting absorbed and digested), sibutramine and phentermine (appetite suppressants which decrease appetite). When lifestyle modifications and medicines do not work, physicians will suggest undergoing weight loss surgery especially when BMI is 40 or those with BMI 35 or above with associated weight-related health problems.

            A person might be opting for medical supplements to help them achieve desirable weight. Public need to note that medical supplements will only work better when they do practise healthy diet and lifestyle modification. There is a plethora of weight-loss supplements available in the market, ranging from low price to even high end. Below are examples of common ingredients used in weight-loss products:

            Even by knowing ingredients that might help you to lose weight, the weight-loss process and effects of each of the ingredients may not be easily explained. This is because most products contain more than one ingredient and these varieties of ingredients may be working differently when mixed together. This is further complicated by product makers who probably are not carrying out scientific studies on people to really prove the effectiveness of their product or just conducting studies with a small batch of people in limited amounts of time. It can be concerning how far these supplements can affect people and the product’s safety profile.

            Hence, consumers need to be careful when deciding on weight-loss supplements. Here are some tips to get the best money value out of your supplement purchases:

1-  Make sure the product is registered with the regulatory authority such as National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA)

2-  Read the product’s label carefully and take as accordingly

3-  Avoid products with bogus claim such as rapid weight loss, suggest not to change diet and exercise or still encourage you to eat anything and fail to give good dietary advice.

 

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