Use Of Weight Loss Supplements Research Articles

Dietary supplements and alternative therapies for obesity: A Perspective from The Obesity Society's Clinical Committee.

In this Perspective Statement from The Obesity Society, the Clinical Committee discusses the use of weight loss supplements in the United States and the lack of regulatory oversight and rigorous testing of their efficacy and safety. A number of products and services claiming to promote weight loss are directly marketed to individuals with obesity and those wanting to lose weight. These products are not regulated as "drugs" by the Federal Drug Administration but, rather, are treated as dietary supplements if ingredients are "generally regarded as safe," requiring little or no testing to show efficacy or safety. Health care providers should be aware of the lack of evidence and deficiencies in regulatory oversight of dietary supplements marketed for weight loss. Regulatory authorities should protect consumers by ensuring accurate and safe marketing claims and preventing promotion of unproven and potentially unsafe products and claims.

Identification and use of weight loss supplements

Rationale: Weight loss supplements are widely used. The objectives of this study were to identify all the available weight loss supplements in the Lebanese market and to explore knowledge, behaviors, socioeconomic factors and health characteristics related to their use.

Are There Adverse Events after the Use of Sexual Enhancement Nutrition Supplements? A Nationwide Online Survey from Japan.

Dozens of safety alerts for sexual enhancement and weight loss dietary supplements have been launched from the government not only in Japan but also overseas. However, adverse events have been reported only for the use of weight loss supplements, and the prevalence of use and adverse events in sexual enhancement supplements is not known in Japan. To address this issue, we assessed the situation of sexual enhancement supplement use through a nationwide online survey. The prevalence of sexual enhancement supplement use among males was 23.0%. Use of these supplements was higher among younger people than among older people (p < 0.001). In total, 17.6% of users had experienced adverse events, but 58.3% of them did not consult about the events with anybody because of the temporality of their symptoms and their sense of shame. In addition, eight supplement products were found to be possible adulterated supplements in this survey. It is necessary to inform the public about the risk of sexual enhancement supplement use and also prepare a place for consultation on media channels that younger people are more familiar with, in order to monitor adverse events while also preserving their privacy.

2442 Garcinia Cambogia, Weight Loss at What Price?

INTRODUCTION: As obesity levels in the United States continue to rise, more Americans are turning to the use of weight loss supplements. The perception of herbal supplements as an “all-natural” alternative has led to an increase in their use as well as a false sense of security in their safety profile. Garcinia cambogia (GC) is one such weight loss supplement. GC has been a topic of controversy, being scrutinized in multiple case studies as a potential cause of herb induced liver injury (HILI), a subset of drug induced liver injury (DILI). We present a case of DILI secondary to the ingestion of GC in the setting of alcohol and quetiapine use. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 46-year-old female with past medical history significant for bipolar disorder and depression presented to the emergency department with complaints of acute right upper quadrant abdominal pain and distention for two days. Initial blood tests showed transaminitis, hyperbilirubinemia, and coagulopathy. The abdomen was mildly tender to deep palpation within the right upper quadrant; no jaundice or scleral icterus was noted. Imaging showed evidence of fatty infiltration of the liver. The patient denied prior history of liver disease, however she admitted to increased daily alcohol consumption over the last several months and long-term high-dose quetiapine use. An exhaustive work-up for alternative etiologies of liver disease was negative. The patient's liver injury was deemed to be drug-induced, secondary to the synergistic effects of GC in the setting of high-dose quetiapine ingestion and alcohol use. Supportive care was continued with improvement in the liver enzymes and bilirubin, and patient was discharged home with a decreased dose of quetiapine and instructions to follow up with psychiatry. One-week follow up labs showed continued down trending of liver enzymes and bilirubin. DISCUSSION: We present this case to emphasize the importance of considering the compounding effects of multiple hepatotoxic substances when mitigating a patient's risks for long-term liver damage. Our case highlights how multiple hepatotoxic insults can create a synergistic effect great enough to push the liver beyond its detoxification limits. Additionally, it demonstrates the importance of healthcare providers acting as diligent investigators of a patient’s home medications, supplements and lifestyle habits. Heightened sense of vigilance is necessary in order to prevent liver injury and its subsequent complications.

SUN-PO276: Factors, Beliefs and Behaviors Related to the Use of Weight Loss Supplements

SUN-PO276: Factors, Beliefs and Behaviors Related to the Use of Weight Loss Supplements

Severe non-exertional rhabdomyolysis from weight loss supplement in sickle cell trait: A perfect storm?

Exertional rhabdomyolysis from sickle cell trait has been documented. Also, cases of rhabdomyolysis from the use of weight loss supplements in the setting of sickle cell trait and exertion have been described. However, the role of sickle cell trait in non-exertional rhabdomyolysis is not clear. We present a case of severe non-exertional rhabdomyolysis from weight loss supplement in a patient with sickle cell trait.A 45-year-old African American female with sickle cell trait presented to the emergency department with two days history of fatigue and mild breathlessness. She also reported diarrhea and vomiting for five days before presentation. She admitted to taking Garcinia cambogia (a dietary supplement) for weight loss one week prior to the onset of symptoms. She denied alcohol or drug use, rigorous physical activity or trauma.She was dehydrated on examination. Laboratory values revealed markedly elevated serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and creatinine levels. Garcinia cambogia was discontinued and she was hydrated with intravenous fluids. Her CPK and creatinine levels significantly trended down and she was discharged home with no apparent sequelae.Our patient had multiple episodes of diarrhea and vomiting likely from the use of Garcinia cambogia. We believe she suffered non-exertional rhabdomyolysis from dehydration in the setting of sickle cell trait. Though dietary weight loss supplements are marketed as generally safe, this case suggests otherwise. We emphasize that clinicians routinely inquire about use of these supplements and provide appropriate counseling to patients on the adverse effects, especially among those with sickle cell trait.

Usage of Plant Food Supplements (PFS) for weight control in six European countries: results from the PlantLIBRA PFS Consumer Survey 2011-2012.

BackgroundObesity is increasing worldwide and weight-control strategies, including the consumption of plant food supplements (PFS), are proliferating. This article identifies the herbal ingredients in PFS consumed for weight control and by overweight/obese dieters in six European countries, and explores the relationship between their consumption and their self-reported BMI.MethodsData used were a subset from the PlantLIBRA PFS Consumer Survey 2011-2012, a retrospective survey of 2359 PFS consumers. The survey used a bespoke frequency-of-PFS-usage questionnaire. Analyses were performed in two consumer subsamples of 1) respondents taking the products for “body weight reasons”, and 2) “dieters for overweight/obesity”, to identify the herbal ingredients consumed for these reasons. The relationship between the 5 most consumed herbal ingredients and self-reported BMI in groups 1 and 2 is explored by comparing BMI proportions of consumers vs. non-consumers (using Chi-squared test).Results252 PFS (8.8 %) were consumed for “body weight reasons” (by 240 PFS consumers); 112 PFS consumers (4.8 %) were “dieting for overweight/obesity”. Spain is the country where consuming herbal ingredients for body weight control and dieting were most popular. Artichoke was the most consumed herbal ingredient. Considering only the 5 top products consumed by those who responded “body weight”, when using the total survey sample, a greater proportion of BMI ≥ 25 was observed among consumers of PFS containing artichoke and green tea as compared to non-consumers (58.4 % vs. 49.1 % and 63.2 % vs. 49.7 % respectively). Considering only the 5 top products consumed by “dieters” and using only the “dieters” sample, a lower proportion of BMI ≥ 25 was observed among pineapple-containing PFS consumers (38.5 % vs. 81.5 %); however, when using the entire survey sample, a greater proportion of BMI ≥ 25 was observed among artichoke-containing PFS consumers (58.4 % vs. 49.1 %).ConclusionsA comparison of results among the scarce publications evaluating the use of weight-loss supplements at the population level is limited. Nevertheless every hint is important in finding out which are the self-treatment strategies used by overweight/obese individuals in European countries. Although limited by a small sample size, our study represents a first attempt at analysing such data in six EU countries. Our findings should encourage the conduction of further studies on this topic, long-term and large sample-sized studies, ideally conducted in the general population.

The liberating effect of weight loss supplements on dietary control: A field experiment

ObjectivesTaking weight-loss supplements may create illusion of protection against weight gain and thereby loosen subsequent dietary self-control. The current study examined whether taking weight-loss supplement would increase food intake and further tested whether positive attitudes toward supplements would increase susceptibility to overeating. MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to take either a known placebo or a purported weight loss supplement (actually, the same placebo). After supplement provision, participants' actual food consumption at a reward buffet lunch was recorded. ResultsCompared with controls, participants receiving a purported weight loss supplement ate more food at the reward buffet. Perceived progress toward the goal of weight reduction mediated the connection between use of weight loss supplements and subsequent food consumption. Participants with more positive attitudes toward weight loss supplements were more susceptible to the liberating effect of taking weight loss supplements on food intake. ConclusionUsing weight loss supplements may produce unintended consequences on dietary self-regulation. The public should pay more attention to the notion of psychological liberation when using weight loss supplements.

Taking weight-loss supplements may elicit liberation from dietary control. A laboratory experiment

Given that changes in diet and exercise habits are difficult to initiate and maintain, the use of weight-loss supplements has become an appealing alternative approach to weight management for many individuals. The current research examined whether the use of weight-loss supplements induced overly optimistic assessments of progress toward weight reduction, leading to psychological abdication of dietary regulation. Participants were randomly assigned to take either an identified placebo or a purported weight-loss supplement (actually the same placebo). Each participant reported perceived progress toward weight reduction following the manipulation. Consumption of snacks in a taste test and choice of sugary drinks were recorded. The results showed that participants receiving a purported supplement ate more in a taste task and preferred larger quantities of sugar in their reward drinks than did controls. Mediation analysis supported that the perception of progress toward weight reduction contributed to the liberating effect. Using weight-loss supplements may increase perceived progress toward weight reduction but decrease dietary self-regulation. These thought-provoking findings can serve as a basis for educating the public about the myth that they are free to feel liberated from the need to regulate their eating when using weight-loss supplements.

Peer effects and the Freshman 15: Evidence from a natural experiment

This study investigates the importance of peer effects in explaining weight gain among freshman college students. We exploit a natural experiment that takes place on most college campuses in the US – randomized roommate assignments. While previous studies suggest that having an obese spouse, friend, or sibling increases one's likelihood of becoming obese, these social interactions are clearly non-random. We collect data from female students living on campus at a private Midwestern university at the beginning and end of their first year of college. Our findings suggest that the amount of weight gained during the freshman year is strongly and negatively correlated to the roommate's initial weight. Further, our analysis of behaviors suggests that female students adopt some of their roommates’ weight-loss behaviors which cause them to gain less weight than they otherwise would have. In particular, we find evidence that this effect may be through influences in eating, exercise, and use of weight loss supplements.

Peer Effects and the Freshman 15: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

This study investigates the importance of peer effects in explaining weight gain among freshman college students. We exploit a natural experiment that takes place on most college campuses in the US - randomized roommate assignments. While previous studies suggest that having an obese spouse, friend, or sibling increases one’s likelihood of becoming obese, these social interactions are clearly non-random. We collect data from students living on campus at a Midwestern private university at the beginning and end of their first year of college. Our findings suggest that for females, the amount of weight gained during the freshman year is strongly and negatively correlated to the roommate's initial weight. Further, our analysis of behaviors suggests that students adopt some of their roommates' weight-loss behaviors which cause them to gain less weight than they otherwise would have. In particular, we find evidence that this effect may be through influences in eating, exercise, and use of weight loss supplements.