| Diet
pills are effective but they're 'legal speed' with major
side effects
By Jon Perry
November 14, 2005 | Do
you want to be physically fit, attractive, and extremely
appealing to the opposite sex? Are you ready to experience
serious weight loss? Do you want the benefits of exercising
without actually exercising? Diet pills are the answer!
If you watch TV, use the Internet,
or read magazines you have probably been exposed to
advertisements for Zantex3. They feature short, intense
ads pushing the idea of a pill perfect for people who
want to lose weight quickly. Maybe you're the type that
immediately picks up the phone and calls the flashing
1-800 number, or maybe you wonder how crap like this
makes it onto your TV. Your first instinct could tell
you to stay away from these pills, but then you feel
your belly hanging over your belt buckle or your butt
squeezed into once-baggy jeans, and think, Is this
the answer? The question then is whether the product
really works, and if so, what makes it so special.
Zantex3.com claims it is America's
hottest new "superpill" and it is perfect for anyone
who is serious about rapid, sustained weight loss and
extreme energy. The ad also claims it provides 546 percent
more weight loss than the leading ephedra-based diet
pill, and claims the average weight loss of users is
11.2 pounds in just over 6 weeks. Sounds like a good
deal. After all, it is five times more effective than
ephedra, a supplement the government opted to ban in
2003 because they felt it put users at "an unreasonable
risk of illness or injury," said Food and Drug Administration
Commissioner Mark McClellan.
Another study done by the National
Institutes of Health associated ephedra with higher
risks of heart palpitations, tremors, and insomnia.
Another study published in the Journal of Neurology
found the rate of strokes among ephedra users was higher
than in nonusers. Five times more effective than ephedra
-- what a way to advertise.
So what makes Zantrex3 so effective?
The pill is packed with caffeine, ginseng, and a list
of other ingredients that speed up metabolism, help
decrease appetite, and create a big upper for users.
Each serving (2 pills) has 320 mgs of caffeine. Zantex3
suggests, for maximum weight loss, users take three
servings a day. To put this into perspective, a 12-ounce
can of Pepsi has 37 mgs of caffeine. This is equivalent
to drinking 25 cans of cola a day! Keep in mind caffeine
is only one of the stimulants in the pill. Other ingredients
are Guarana, Maca Root, Cocoa Nut, Damania, and nine
other ingredients the average consumer probably knows
little about.
Can a pill with so many ingredients
help consumers lose weight and not make them sick? At
evitamins.com a customer can purchase, research, and
review products. Out of the last 50 comments posted
about Zantex3, 15 reported weight loss, 15 reported
energy boosts, and 23 reported side effects including
shortness of breath, headaches, chest tightness, diarrhea,
nausea, and a couple users even reported finding blood
in their stool. Some of the people posted they experienced
the side effects but admitted they still continued to
use the product.
"Zantrex-3 combined with exercise
and a diet program; I lost 20 pounds in two months.
It was the most horrible three months of my life. My
anxiety level was at an all time high. I felt like everything
was dark and negative, even if it wasn't. I had the
worst tremors. I had diarrhea and nausea all the time,"
posted Lori Brown.
Brandon Greenberg, who posted a message
at ultimatefatburner.com, reported he had taken Zantex3
for weight loss. "I attempted to take this pill on 2
separate occasions and was instantly thrown into a panic
attack, a vicious sweat, and an itching rash brought
on by the niacin. My throat closed up and my heart raced.
If I did not have an emergency 1mg Klonopin in the house,
I am certain that I would have gone to the hospital."
Other people say they use the pill
for energy. "I usually will bring 5 or 6 pills to work
and eat one every 3-4 hours," said Angie, an employee
at a factory on 600 West in Logan. "I will give the
other pills to my co-workers when they are feeling tired
and need a little boost." When asked if she takes the
pill to lose weight she replied, "It's a plus, but I
use it more for the energy it gives me."
People who know fitness view these
products as scams because they are aware losing weight
and being fit takes exercising and eating right. They
are aware of how advertising works and know the people
on the screen are paid to be there and have probably
never even tried the product. They may find it hard
to believe people buy these products.
Zantex3 should be marketed as legal
speed instead of a diet pill. Advertisers promoting
it as a health supplement need to stop and realize a
lot of customers buy it to lose weight, but are not
are aware of the potential side effects of its ingredients.
Then they are hit with a big surprise that can be scary.
Next time you see a diet commercial be aware of the
hidden dangers of products with medical-sounding names
like "Zantex3". Consider that a better name might be
CRACKlets or SPEEDY'S, and then think hard about the
real price for questionable promises.
NW
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