Weight-loss pills are risky - Doctor says ‘slim quick’ tablets can cause malnutrition

As many Jamaicans strive to achieve their ideal body size, some have resorted to taking weight-loss tablets to hasten the journey to their desired goal.

If ingested over a short period of time, the manufacturers of these capsules and pills promise that one will get 'slim quick.'

Some of these tablets require a prescription, while others may be bought over the counter. Two brands of the product that can be purchased in Jamaica are Relacore which can be purchased for $5,000, and Leptroprin which cost 4,500 from one particular dealer.

One salesperson of tablets is adamant that his products are safe and that they help persons to achieve the desired result.

"I don't get no one who complain that nothing happen to them or say them don't get no result enough," he said.

However, medical doctor and wellness guru Dr Anthony Vendryes is advising persons to be careful of how they use these products.

"They tend to have significant side effects, and once you stop using them, you tend to put on back the weight, so I have not found it a particular good approach to weight loss," Vendryes said.

Their lifestyle

He is of the view that the persons who use these tablets to achieve a more slender figure do so because they want to shed pounds quickly without much effort.

"They usually want to lose weight, but they don't want to change their lifestyle, so they looking for a quick fix. Some people have hormone problems that makes it difficult for them to lose weight and they try those kinds of approach," he said.

He explained that pills either suppress one's appetite or help to burn calories.

"From that, the other thing is that you are starving yourself and may become malnourished. Some of these weight-loss tablets are water tablets that make you lose more urine, and that can make you become dehydrated because it is stimulating the body in an abnormal kind of way," he continued.

He is, therefore, encouraging persons to research the tablets before use and get supervision from a doctor while using weight loss tablets.