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The answer to this depends in part on what you mean by “good results” and where you’ve heard that diet pills work. Are you referring to advertisements on TV, and do you realize you are just watching actors reading prepared scripts? Or have you been looking at ads in magazines or on the Internet, many of which are pure fiction? Do you know actual family members or friends who have had lasting success using diet pills? We do have solid medical research results for prescription diet medications. In controlled studies lasting several months, people taking diet pills lose only about 8 pounds more than people using placebo (inactive) pills but otherwise following the same diet program. The difference disappears after medication is stopped. There are no studies showing long-term weight loss success with diet pills.
The health risks of diet pills are well documented. Medications to reduce appetite (including fenfluramine, phentermine, diethylpropion and sibutramine) are associated with high blood pressure, heart palpitations and irregular heartbeats, dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Drugs to block absorption of dietary fats (such as orlistat) cause vitamin deficiency, gas, oily rectal discharge, diarrhea, bowel incontinence and soiling. Some drugs (leptin, octreotide, metformin) have only been used in clinical trials. At present, none of the FDA approved diet pills can be recommended for use in adolescents. The slight short-term benefits of a few pounds of additional weight loss are not worth the risks of the medications. Many of us wish there were magic pills and easy answers for losing weight. But the truth is that successful weight control still depends on a life-long healthy eating pattern, regular exercise and behavior modification.
You're not alone. Take a look at a few of the questions related to this topic that other teens have asked us.
Is it safe for teens to take diet pills if they’re all natural?
How can I lose weight in a safe way?
Is it OK for a 15-year-old girl to be on Slimfast - the meal in a can thing?
For more information, check out these articles:
Answering Your Questions About Weight Control
How To Lose Weight and Keep It Off
You Are What You Eat
Posted 1-22-04
Do you have a question?  As a reminder, this information should not be relied on as medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Please read our full  .
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