The Diet Pill Book: A Consumer's Guide to Prescription and Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pills and Supplements [Paperback]

David Dodson (Author), Deborah R. Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2002

Can you lose weight by taking a pill, powder, or tea? Find out the truth--and the risks...

Containing up-to-date, authoritative information, The Diet Pill Book spells out what over 200 name-brand products contain and analyzes the validity of the manufacturers’ claims. Warnings, cautions, and possible allergic reactions are clearly stated. This essential reference covers:

* Prescription weight loss products including: Mazanor, Xenical, and Meridia
* Single ingredient, over-the-counter weight management products including: Chitosan, Chromium picolinate, and Pyruvate
* Combination over-the-counter weight loss products, including: dieter’s teas, herbal laxatives, metabolism boosters, and fat-reducing soap

Each entry explains:

- Whether or not the ingredients promote weight loss, and if so, how
- If the dosage is sufficient to promote weight loss
- If there are any reliable studies to support manufacturers’ claims
- If the product is safe; if it interacts with other drugs or foods, and what its potential side effects might be

Before you take any weight-loss product, protect your health, and save your money with:

The Diet Pill Book

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Confused by whether this pill or that sup-plement is safe and effective? Is your "fat burner" truly thermogenic or simply burn-ing a hole in your wallet? This small vol-ume by a medical writer and a specialist in clinical nutrition gives the straight skinny on prescription and over-the-counter diet aids what does work, what doesn't, and what's still awaiting a definitive answer. Each substance entry includes details on the manufacturer, recommended dosage, background and research, product claims, side effects, precautions, and further sources of information. Excellent.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Deborah Mitchell is a medical writer and journalist whose articles have appeared in professional journals as well as national consumer magazines. She has authored or co-authored ten books about various health topics, including The Natural Health Guide to Headache Relief, co-authored with Paula Maas, M.D., The SAM-e Solution, MSM: The Natural Pain Relief Remedy, Nature’s Painkillers, and The Dictionary of Natural Healing. Ms. Mitchell is an experienced collaborator, a meticulous researcher and is highly skilled at making complex technical information easy to understand. She lives and works in Tucson, Arizona.

David Charles Dodson, M.D. is Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. He specializes in clinical nutrition and the treatment of obesity and maintains a private practice based at the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (January 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312287119
• ISBN-13: 978-0312287115
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,187,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The skinny on diet pills !, September 16, 2003

By 

Lee Mellott "Skin Care For Wrinkles" (Frederick, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Diet Pill Book: A Consumer's Guide to Prescription and Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pills and Supplements (Paperback)

The other day a gal wrote to a fitness website I am on and said," I am tired of dieting and exercising, please tell me what diet pill I can take and just get skinny quick."

After reading "The Diet Pill Guide" I was able to tell her, there is no magic pill, just as most of sadly knew all along.

The Diet Pill book lists over the counter, prescription and other supplements sold for weight loss. It lists products, brand names, ingredients, how sold, background and research, product claims, side effects, precautions and other information.

A number of products are covered. Everything from A Aoqili Slim Soap (yes a soap that claims it makes you skinny as you wash with it), to Z zhi shi (citrus rinds of the bitter orange). And lots in between. Here you can learn the truth about slim fast , bee pollen, locust root, ginger, 5HTP and more. The good (green tea) the bad (fat trapper) and the ugly (ephedra) are all covered.

A handy index at the back of the book makes it easy to look up the pill you were thinking of popping. One drawback is the book does not cover starch blockers. Since the book was published in 2002 starch blockers which are becoming more popular should have been included. Hence the 4 instead of 5 star rating.

Overall a great little reference!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must- read before taking any diet pills as there are RISKS and BENEFITS, December 6, 2005

By 

K. Corn "reviewer" (midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Diet Pill Book: A Consumer's Guide to Prescription and Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pills and Supplements (Paperback)

First off, I have personal experience with one of the drugs listed in the book - Meridia. For me, it was a great aid, reducing my appetite and getting me to the point where I lost 26 pounds in short order.

However, I'm not sure if I'd have taken it after reading this book. It is an excellent overview to what is available right now, although even at its publication date, new products were already in the pipeline, so I wouldn't expect this book to stay current for long...but it might be long enough for you to decide which medicines, if any, might work for you.

Readers might also want to check the Consumer Reports website, has come out with a list of the 12 "highest risk" drugs and Meridia, one of the weight loss drugs, is on that ( the entire article and risks can be seen at their website).

It should be kept in mind that the chances of side effects, even for the high risk drugs, are still small, but does raise some concerns about the way drugs are researched, tested and processed these days.

With that in mind, read this book as a starting point and then do a search of even more relevant or current articles, from the latest releases to television reports.

Now, more than ever, consumers need to do their own legwork, not take medicine blindly, simply because it is prescribed and be aware of the total picture.

If you are very obsese, perhaps the benefits outweigh the risks. For someone who is 10 -20 pounds overweight might have a far harder choice to make - take the chance, however small of liver, kidney and heart damage - or lose the weight?