Are Slimming Pills Safe and Effective for Teenagers?
The rising rate of teenage obesity is alarming medical experts. A large number of schoolchildren in developed nations such as the US and the UK are being categorized as medically obese. A large number of children are at a risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, stroke as well as possibly early death. The most worrying factor about the growing teenage statistics is that they have a high chance of becoming obese adults. Experts believe that sedentary lifestyles and increased consumption of junk food is largely responsible for obesity amongst teenagers.
To check the growing trend of obesity amongst teenagers, experts are recommending wholesale lifestyle changes such as intake of balanced nutritional meals at regular intervals, regular physical exercise and changes in lifestyle that involve you to do more physical work. However, in obese patients where lifestyle changes dont prove to be effective, doctors are prescribing slimming pills like Xenical.
Studies show that people can lose more weight through obesity treatments that involve the use of slimming pills in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet and regular physical exercise. Experts believe that people should make the best use of slimming treatment programme because if they fail to reduce their weight even through slimming pills, the only treatment option left before them would be bariatric surgery, which is expensive and does have the possible risk of side effects.
One of the most recommended slimming pills is Xenical orlistat. Xenical is a prescription only slimming pill approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). It is proven to be safe as well as effective. Xenical orlistat works as a fat absorption inhibitor weight loss drug. This means, the drug works in your digestive system to prevent the absorption of a part of the fat in your diet. Various clinical studies have shown that Xenical can prevent up to 30% of the fat in your diet from being digested. The undigested fat cannot be absorbed by your body and is eliminated out of your system through normal bowel movements. As a result, your net calorie intake is reduced and you lose weight faster. Clinical trials have shown that Xenical can help you lose 5-10% of your body weight in 6-10 months provided you take the medicine along with a strict diet and exercise regimen.
Though Xenical was earlier meant for adults only when it was launched in 1999, but later studies revealed that the medicine was safe and effective for teenagers as well. In December 2003, the US FDA approved Xenical for obesity treatment in adolescents aged 12 to 16 years. This was the first approval of its kind for a prescription obesity treatment drug.
The FDAs approval for Xenical use in teenagers was based on the results of a 1-year study involving 539 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Xenical in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise compared to the efficacy of lifestyle changes alone.
Study results showed that adolescents treated with Xenical had:
- Significantly greater reduction in fat mass.
- Significantly greater decrease in waist circumference.
- Significantly reduced BMI as compared with adolescents who were trying to lose weight with lifestyle changes alone.
In order to lose fat around the stomach area you need to lose overall body fat.
I have some suggestions below for losing body fat:
Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise and nutrition plan.
You need a good combination of aerobic activity and resistance training combined with a healthy diet.
It is not recommended to lose more than 1-3 lbs a week. If you want to lose weight the correct and safe way that will stay off for the long-term, you need a good comprehensive exercise and nutrition plan.
A good program looks like this:
Read more…