Why Are Weight Loss Supplements Dangerous?
It is a shocking observation by nutrition and medical researchers alike that more than 2 billion dollars, a whopping amount, is spent by the American population in terms of global purchases every year on acquiring weight loss pills. Though weight loss seems to be the most sought-after health-related goal by individuals across the globe, there is a difference in losing weight the healthy way through diet and nutrition, exercise regimens, and maintaining physical and mental health rather than depending on fad diets or short term weight loss diets or even weight loss supplements or pills that may pose possible systemic dangers to the health of an individual.
Whether as a result of negative diet culture trends, yo-yo dieting, or unhealthy mentality that fosters body dissatisfaction or lack of body positivity - weight loss culture can take a turn for the worse when the individuals, due to such reasons, compromising on systemic health and instead resort to the regular use of weight loss supplements or weight loss pills.
Among several weight loss supplements researched, one of the highlighted popular supplements is Lipozene, which is marketed to have natural ingredients. Manufacturers of the supplement claim to induce weight loss without any need for following a low-calorie or weight-sustaining diet.
Can Lipozene Affect the Gastrointestinal System?
Lipozene is a dietary supplement that has been mainly promoted in print, media, and negative diet culture to help with short-term or eventual weight loss. The main ingredient in the supplement is known to be a proprietary blend of the amorphophallus version of konjac (that is derived from konjac root). Glucomannan (a type of soluble fiber derived from the konjac root, used in dietary supplements to help with weight loss) is a specific type of soluble fiber present in Lipozene as well. According to the manufacturers of the Lipozene supplement, the active ingredient found in the supplement helps the individual stay satisfied and avoid food for longer periods, thereby giving the individual the opportunity to lose weight quickly. Glucomannan is an ingredient that can primarily expand in water. Hence, the safety concern associated with its consumption as a supplement or in the oral tablet form is that it can create an esophagus blockage or result in gastrointestinal issues and side effects like loose stools, flatulence (excessive gas in the digestive system that causes bloating and pain), abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, which have been possible complications reported in medical literature in individuals on Lipozene supplement.
Though glucomannan is indeed a water-soluble fiber that absorbs water and is rather indigestible, with its low-calorie fiber possibly aiding in weight loss, it is not a nutritious way to disclude varied food groups or replace satiating nutrient-rich meals for weight loss supplements. Rather, this type of negative mentality can influence the negative diet culture and create a spectrum of undesirable systemic sequelae.
Are Alternative Weight Loss Supplements to Lipozene Safe?
Other weight loss supplements, apart from Lipozene, are often marketed as comprising an ingredient called "garcinia cambogia" that would supposedly improve lipid profile and glucose blood profile, especially in overweight or obese individuals prone to or suffering from type 2 diabetes (a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar). However, even these supplements comprising the common glucomannan and Garcinia cambogia as an adjunct cannot be validated as such, because scientific evidence does not as yet prove any purported health benefits. It is important to note that there is no scientific evidence at all to show that garcinia cambogia, which is a common ingredient in weight loss supplements (not found in Lipozene), will provide any effective weight loss at all. Rather, the result of consuming weight loss supplements regularly, as seen in medical literature, would predispose individuals to develop gastric or intestinal side effects, apart from common clinical symptoms like headache, upper respiratory tract issues (difficulty in breathing), sudden mania, or even hepatic or liver damage, as reported through medical case records.
What Research Studies Indicate About Weight Loss Supplements?
According to a 2013 major research study that was published in the Journal of Obesity, the participants or control group who were on 0.046 ounces of glucomannan or placebo before every meal for eight weeks were compared to healthy subjects who were not on weight loss supplements.
The researchers found that even after eight weeks, there were absolutely no significant differences in weight loss or hunger levels in the placebo or control group consuming glucomannan.
Another major nutrition research study that was published in the 2019 Journal of Pediatrics investigated the after-effects of glucomannan on weight reduction in a comparative trial of overweight versus obese children. Again, the researchers noticed no significant weight-related changes in weight in the groups that were consuming glucomannan.
Though the Journal of Pediatrics suggests that glucomannan supplements can usually produce a significant improvement in cholesterol in younger participants like children who were part of the research trial of Lipozene - this research remains scientifically inconclusive and received mixed evidence. According to the research published in the Journal of Obesity, the researchers as such did not find any improvements in good cholesterol numbers in younger participants.
According to the current recommendation by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), glucomannan is the primary constituent of Lipozene supplements and has long-term safety concerns associated with it. The NIH mentions that this supplement should never be consumed by individuals without adequate fluid intake; otherwise, the indigestible pill would easily swell and block the esophagus (the tube connecting the throat to the stomach, through which food and liquids pass) or digestive passageway.
Conclusion
A result of a negative diet culture or the encouragement of weight loss supplements in either media or in print is a definite setback to an individual's body satisfaction. It contributes to a pervasive diet culture, potentially leading to disordered eating. Further, because these medications are not regulated for safety by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the long-term questionable safety, as well as the gastrointestinal effects that accompany these supplements, definitely should be a warning or an awareness for the general population. Further, it is important not to focus on weight loss as a goal but rather on a nutrient-rich diet and exercise regimen to sustain a healthy weight.
