How Diet Pills Work

Diet pills work by affecting the body processes that cause weight gain. Diet pills work to cause weight loss in one of three main ways  

Decreasing the number of calories that are absorbed during digestion. 

Suppressing appetite to decrease how much food is eaten. 

Calories consumed in food are used by the body as fuel. The body s use of calories as its source of energy is called thermogenesis. Literally, thermogenesis means the production of heat because when people burn calories, heat is produced. The body needs a constant supply of fuel to maintain normal functions that people don t usually think about, like breathing. 

Side effects associated with this type of diet pill often occur because, in causing the body to burn more calories, the pills speed up many body processes—possibly to a level that becomes dangerous. Examples are increased blood pressure and heart rate, which can lead to heart problems over time. Other side effects include nervousness and insomnia. 

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This book has examined how diet pills work and which herbal and prescription products are most commonly used for weight loss. Disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and body dysmorphic syndrome may lead someone to abuse both over-the-counter and prescription diet pills. There are health and legal ramifications of diet pill abuse that are ignored or not even realized when abuse is taking place. 

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