It's supposed to suppress appetite and decrease the number of fat cells your body makes. One such ingredient is Garcinia cambogia, which comes in products like Hydroxycut and Plexus Slim. The most common ingredients can be found in a database from the National Institutes of Health. These types of diet pills often contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and herbs. So if you're considering a diet pill supplement, there are a few things you might want to know first. These include prescription drugs and controlled substances like sibutramine, which was removed from the market in 2010 because it substantially increased heart rate and blood pressure. What's more, the FDA has warned that some over-the-counter products contain hidden ingredients. In fact, many manufacturers of weight loss supplements don't test their products in humans before taking them to market. Since over-the-counter dietary supplements don't have to be vetted for safety or efficacy by the FDA, it's much easier to get them onto shelves and into your medicine cabinet. There are many diet pills available that aren't FDA-approved or -regulated, and there is minimal evidence that they actually work.

Also, side effects are common and can be severe.ĭo over-the-counter weight loss pills work? Weight loss medications are used along with a healthy diet and exercise regimen that need to be continued after treatment. These pills aren't a perfect solution for obesity.

Doctors often reserve these treatments for people with a BMI of over 30 kg/m or those who have obesity-related health complications, like high blood pressure or diabetes. But prescription weight loss medication isn't for everyone. It is injected once a week, with the dose increasing gradually every month for the first five months.Ī few other medications - most commonly phentermine - are approved for short-term use. In a 2021 clinical trial, participants taking semaglutide lost nearly 15% of their body weight, on average. Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy.It is injected once a day, with the dose increasing gradually for the first five weeks. A 2017 review found that, on average, participants taking liraglutide lost 5% to 10% of their body weight. Liraglutide, sold under the brand name Saxenda.The FDA has also approved two injectable drugs for long-term use. Common side effects included constipation, insomnia, and dysgeusia, a distorted sense of taste.

In a 2011 study, nearly half of participants who took one pill containing 15 milligrams of phentermine and 92 milligrams of topiramate daily lost more than 10% of their total body weight after 56 weeks.

Phentermine-topiramate, sold under the brand name Qsymia.

Interestingly, one 2012 study found that overweight soldiers who took orlistat for six months lost more fat mass but not as much lean mass compared with the placebo group. Researchers have found that people with a BMI of 27 kg/m or greater who take orlistat for more than two months could lose 12.3 pounds on average.

Orlistat, sold under the brand names Xenical and Alli.

Something to note, however, is that many of the studies on this pill's weight-loss effects were sponsored by the company that manufactures this combination pill. Naltrexone and bupropion are separate medications, but researchers found that a pill that combines the two can help more with weight loss than either pill separately.

Naltrexone-bupropion, sold under the brand name Contrave.The Food and Drug Administration has approved five prescription drugs for long-term weight loss based on research about their safety and effectiveness. Prescription weight loss medications proven to work