Lose weight without pills
Scientists have found out what are the dangers of weight loss pills
According to the results of a large-scale study, regular use of weight loss products can lead to serious disorders of the digestive system.
The results of the study are published in the American Journal of Public Health (Levinson et al., Diet Pill and Laxative Use for Weight Control and Consequent Incident Eating Disorder in US Young Women: 2001-2016).
American scientists from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Boston Children's Hospital have found that women who regularly use weight loss pills and laxatives for weight control have a high risk of developing digestive system diseases within one to three years.
The researchers analyzed data on the health status of 10,058 women and girls aged 14 to 36 who participated in the Growing Up Today Study panel study conducted in the United States in 2001-2016. For the analysis, the authors used a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for age, ethnicity and the presence or absence of overweight
The results showed that among initially healthy young women who used weight loss pills for at least one year, 1.8 percent received the first diagnosis of any digestive system disease over the next three years. Among those who took laxatives instead of weight loss pills, this figure is even higher – 4.2 percent. For comparison, among their peers who did not take medications, the incidence did not exceed 1 percent.
"We knew that weight loss pills and laxatives used for weight control can be very harmful, and we wanted to find out what the use of these drugs leads to," the head of the study, Professor Bryn Austin, director of the Strategic Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED). "Our results confirm what we know about tobacco and alcohol: adherence to certain behaviors associated with the intake of any substances can lead to health problems."
The authors do not recommend using weight loss pills or laxatives for weight control without the recommendation of a specialist, since their regular use disrupts the normal function of digestion and can have serious health consequences, such as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and hypertension.
Scientists urge politicians and public figures to develop initiatives to ban advertising of such products and promote a healthy lifestyle without drugs.
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