Abusing Over-the-counter Diet Products

western medication
Originally uploaded by ica~icarus

Over-the-counter diet products are being abused by young girls who can walk in to drug stores and purchase them without any questions being asked. Unfortunately, instead of making lifestyle changes to achieve a healthy weight, they are using pills to slim down for a special event and then returning to unhealthy eating.

These products, including Optifast and Celebrity Slim, use meal-replacements and herbal supplements to promote rapid weight loss. While they offer real benefits to the obese under medical supervision, they should not be used by young girls to achieve the super-skinny figures of their celebrity idols.

Clare Collins, of the University of Newcastle, called for these programs to be to be banned for those under 16 unless they have a prescription. Fortunately, it looks like some companies in the diet industry agree. Paul Kirkham, the technical director of Aminoactive, which launched Celebrity Slim, had the following to say:

We do know that girls are using these products inappropriately and I think an age ban is something we would agree with.