Healthy Living

with Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Weight-Loss Supplements: Help or Hype?

Don't those ads for over-the-counter weight-loss supplements sound so tempting? "Eat all you want and lose weight"... "Permanent weight loss without eating less"... "No exercise necessary"... "This product works for everyone". The list goes on and on.

I'd like to jump to the punch-line first: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. When it comes to weight-loss supplements, there's a lot of misinformation because we all want to believe that these products promote weight loss without effort.

When it comes to losing weight, if it were so easy, everyone would be thin! While there are many ways to make the lifestyle change easier (not easy!), this whole category of supplements for weight loss preys upon the consumer's perfect-world scenario: effortless weight loss.

Back to real life, weight loss and maintenance are challenging, and we are all looking for help.

Here's why over-the-counter weight-loss supplements should be avoided.

1. There is no government regulation for the formulation of these compounds, meaning there is no guarantee of purity or dosage of a particular product. Is that a problem? Yes, because many of the ingredients do have biological activity, but if you don't know the amount, you can put your health at risk. It might be effective, but how much is the right amount?
2. The lack of government regulation applies to product purity. In preparing these pills or capsules, there can be numerous contaminants in the product that can be health-damaging as well. This is a safety issue, not one of effectiveness.
3. Side effects of these compounds do not need to be reported to anyone. While the products all list that their statements do not have FDA approval, it also means that any negative side effects are not required to be reported anywhere (meaning there is no official documentation of any problems!).

There is one exception to this group: a product that has been approved by the FDA for use as an over-the-counter weight-loss supplement. Called Alli, it's a lower dose of the prescription-medication Xenical, which is a fat-blocker. (It does nothing to appetite or fullness.) Talk to your doctor, even though you can purchase it on your own.

When it comes to medications that aren't regulated, let the consumer beware. Losing weight is hard, and keeping it off is even harder - but a commitment to lifestyle modification is the first step. There are other steps to add - including prescription medication and surgery - when needed.

If you have a health question for Dr. Fernstrom, e-mail her at fernstrom@wqed.org.

Dr. Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Ph.D., C.N.S., is the founder and director of UPMC's Weight Management Center. She is the diet and nutrition editor for NBC's "Today Show" and is the author of The Runner's Diet. Also visit "Health Journal with Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom," a health and wellness blog at iVillage.com.