Some things you need to know if you’re considering taking weight loss productsLately there’s been a lot of talk about obesity in the news. It is an epidemic in the developed world, with the number of people likely to develop resulting illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease set to increase dramatically within the next 5 years. For many of us who are obese or overweight, losing the weight is the obvious solution to this problem. But that’s not necessarily as easy as it sounds – a fact I’m sure many people can attest to.
So, in addition to diets, some of us resort to using health products to help shed the extra pounds. Given the new public emphasis on losing weight, Health Canada recently issued some very useful information about the safe use of health products – both prescription and over the counter.
Chief among the factors to be aware of when considering using health products are:
Health Canada also cautions against ordering prescription drugs online that have not been prescribed for you specifically by a health care professional that has examined you in person. This is actually a very important point. Your health care provider is qualified to examine you – and in many cases will have known you for some time - so he or she is aware of your health history. When making a decision about taking something that may affect you systemically – or is absorbed by your body via your bloodstream – it is best to have someone with medical expertise and knowledge of your personal health history guide you with respect to any associated risks and benefits.
Additionally, if you’re considering taking several different kinds of weight loss products together, find out from your health care professional what, if any, are the potential risks associated with combining the different products.
Certain kinds of weight loss agents – whether they’re all natural or not – may interact with each other, or with drugs you may be taking for a pre-existing medical condition such as high blood pressure, or with certain foods you eat. Your doctor is likely to know about potential interactions and can advise you accordingly. And, he or she may well be aware of helpful alternatives.
Another important point is to know something about the outlet you’re buying the products from, particularly Internet sources. You want to ensure that the products you’re considering buying are safe, guaranteed, and of the highest possible quality.
To quote from the Health Canada bulletin “Certain NHPs [natural health products] promoted online for weight loss have posed serious health risks because they have been mixed with prescription drugs or contaminated with heavy metals. Other products ordered online from unreliable sources, including prescription drugs, may be counterfeit, or contain ingredients other than those being advertised. In some cases, products contain “proprietary” or trademarked/patented blends of ingredients. This makes it difficult to identify the content of each ingredient or determine whether some combinations(s) of ingredients could harm your health.”
Using health products ‘off label’ to lose weight
The term ‘off label’ refers to using a product or prescription drug for a use that it is either not approved for or not originally intended for.
Just because it’s natural
Natural doesn’t automatically indicate that a product is safe. For example, sometimes an active compound that is safe in a food can, when extracted and/or concentrated, and manufactured or sold as a ‘natural health product’, cause toxic or unwanted side effects. Health Canada notes that certain NHPs containing highly concentrated green tea extract have been associated with serious liver problems, whereas the drink green tea is very safe.
Reduce Your Risk
The best bet, if you are concerned about your weight, is to begin by talking to your health care practitioner about the best way to safely reach a body weight that’s healthy for you.
And these tips, courtesy of Health Canada, are worth bearing in mind:
Useful contact information
If you live in Canada and wish to report an adverse reaction or interaction involving any health product, including NHPs, contact Health Canada at 866-234-2345 (toll-free in Canada), or visit the MedEffect Web site http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/med/weight-amaigr_e.html#info
If you live in the United States and have concerns about a product you have bought or are considering buying, or a website offering products for sale, visit the Federal Food and Drug Administration’s website at: http://www.fda.gov/comments.html or call them at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332).
Similarly, if you live in Great Britain, for health information and nurse advice, contact the NHS Direct at their website: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or by telephone at 0845 4647
If you live in Australia visit: http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Medicines or call their medicine line at 1300 888 763 , Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EST.
If you live in New Zealand visit http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf or obtain free 24 hour health advice by calling the Healthline on 0800 611 116
Reviewed March 27th 2008
If you have a comment, contact claire@knowitallhealth.com
The content for this column originated at Health Canada’s “It’s your health” website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/med/weight-amaigr_e.html#info
Taken directly from Health Canada’s “It’s Your Health” website:
"Stimulant laxatives (Senna, Cascara, Aloe) may be authorized for oral use as laxatives, but are often promoted for off-label use in detoxifying or cleansing regimens, which are becoming increasingly popular. However, there are serious risks associated with chronic use of laxatives or combining multiple laxatives together, including the risk of electrolyte disturbances that can affect the heart, as well as functional bowel problems."
Ephedra, and Synephrine
I’m sure many of us have heard of the herb Ephedra and possibly one of its active ingredients ephedrine, and the herb bitter orange peel – and one of its active ingredients synephrine. These are all promoted for weight loss which is actually an ‘off label’ use. In Canada, ephedra and ephedrine are authorized for use decongestants, and in homeopathic medicines. Bitter orange peel – also known as citrus aurantium– is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat abdominal pain and constipation, but is not authorized in Canada for weight loss. Synephrine is currently not approved for any use in health products in Canada. Warnings regarding potential health risks associated with ephedra/ephedrine and bitter orange/synephrine including serious or life threatening cardiovascular reactions have been issued by Health Canada.