As promised, I have put together a bit of an article on some of the different OTC weight loss products you can find at your local drugstore. The topic stemmed from a quick post I put up about Hoodia.
When it comes to OTC weight loss products, we must take into consideration that more studies are needed to prove their efficacy.
Most companies are strongly advertising their product as causing “significant weight loss without adverse effects.” However, most of the available weight loss products have not been thoroughly tested, and with the limited studies that actually have been completed, the content is most likely questionable.
Alli appears to be the only effective OTC weight loss product. This is based on hard evidence from a 16-week study comparing subjects taking Alli versus those taking nothing (aka placebo).
Patients will see most of their weight loss from Alli within the 1st year. During the 2nd year, patients tend to gain some of the weight back.
Patients taking Alli should see about a 5% weight loss in 16 weeks, as long as they take it as directed. At most, you’d probably see a 10 to 15 1b loss in weight with this medication!
The most popular nonprescription weight loss product on the market today is Hoodia (check out my previous post, “Hoodia for Weight Loss” for a little more info on this product). It’s popularity persists even with very little evidence in the medical world supporting its efficacy. Therefore, as a healthcare professional, I would have a hard time recommending it to anyone!
Some other products that contain the following ingredients may be somewhat effective: CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), green tea extract, chromium, and pyruvate.
What OTC products contain these ingredients?
1. CLA – Nature Made Conjugated Linoleic Acid and CLA Fuel
2. Green Tea Extract – Nature’s Bounty Green Tea Extract, Life Extension Mega, and Puritan’s Pride Green Tea Extract
3. Chromium – Ultra Chromium, GTF Chromium, Trimspa (in combination with other herbal supplements), and EZ-Trim (in combination with other herbal supplements)
4. Pyruvate – not sure if this is sold in your local drugstore, but there are products out there called Now Food’s Pyruvate and NSI Stabilized Pyruvate Complex.
But don’t forget these products need to undergo a lot more testing to prove they are truly effective options!
With any of the OTC products, you will see only modest weight loss. In fact, obesity treatment guidelines do not recommend using herbals or supplements as a way to lose weight. That’s how ineffective they are!
It may be a wee bit disappointing to you all, but unfortunately, there is no “magic pill” available to help you shed the pounds. Sorry, dudes!
Also, even though these medications may be herbals and supplements, they still carry side effects along with them. To be honest, there are serious issues with the quality and content of some of the OTC weight loss products on the market. Just be careful!
Have questions about a specific product? Have you tried an OTC weight loss medication before? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
I’ve said it before, and I’m going to mention it again…be sure to check out our absolutely free video course on how to save money on your prescription medications. After watching it, be sure to provide us with feedback!
Come again!
This article is not disappointing but instead a breath of fresh air on the subject. Wgt.loss OTC’s are a classic case of “lack of truth in advertising”. Inspite of this tech savvy world many people just dont understand the food/energy relationship and the difference between CAL and cal. Maybe we need to label food in terms of Joules and scare the fat off them. Diet and exercise are the only proven methods.