Diet Pills and Government Control

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Why the government should regulate the usage of diet pills
Why government should not regulate the use of diet pills
Side effects
Consequences of diet pills use
How the government can regulate the production and usage of diet pills
Conclusion
Works cited

Introduction

Diet pills are also referred to as weight-loss drugs or anti-obesity drugs. They are agents that control body weight by altering basic human body processes either through regulation of metabolism or through regulation of the appetite. They are attributed to a number of side effects and hence they are discouraged and instead people who are having problems with their weights are advised to involve themselves with physical exercises. However, in some cases, they are prescribed in cases of obesity only if the benefits are by far much more than the risks involved (DiCyan, p. 58).

Diet pills operate through various mechanisms one of them being appetite suppression. The main drugs used for appetite suppression include drugs derived from catecholamine and amphetamine-based drugs. There is research going to see the viability of new drugs which are believed to block the cannabinoid receptors and they are being considered as the future diet pills. Another mechanism is the drugs raising the body’s metabolism activities. Another mechanism is the drugs interfering with the body absorption of certain foods which are believed to be the main cause of increased body weight. These drugs include Orlistat-based drugs which prevent the body from absorbing fats and they include Xenical and Alli. Anorectics have been used traditionally to suppress the appetite, but they can also be used as stimulants and some people have feigned their desire to fight weight gain only for them to use the drugs for stimulation (Silverman, p. 25).

Why the government should regulate the usage of diet pills

The government is responsible for ensuring that its citizens are safe from all fronts. It is in this respect that the government is expected to react and come up with policies directed to the production and usage of these drugs which are accompanied by numerous side effects and consequences. One of the reasons the government regulate the diet pills market is that the companies that make these drugs are often lying to the consumers about how marvelously they work when in the real sense they do not work but are only used to enrich the companies with the huge sales they record (Bosker, p. 212).

Companies that are in the field of diet pills do not tell the consumers of the side effects and consequences that the usage of these drugs may expose them to. Many of the consumers are ignorant and hence they just buy the drugs and start taking them just because the company put in a few good words and shied away from telling the truth. This is putting a lot of users in life-threatening situations as the drugs have numerous side effects that the government should compel the companies to inform the uses so that the users can either change the brand or alternatively change their lifestyles to healthier lifestyles (Silverman, p. 25).

It is a common thing for companies to try to ensure market status security. Just like the tobacco companies are known to add additives to tobacco that makes smokers addicted to cigarettes, the companies that make diet pills have also come up with a new strategy which is to add stimulants to the diet pills. These pills in the real sense make the consumers addicted and there have been cases where people have been using diet pills in a camouflage method of accessing stimulants while in the real sense they are not having any weight problems (Caldwell, p. 96).

The companies have also been proved to have been producing inconsistent and poor-quality products. This has further jeopardized the health of the consumers because these drugs which are produced under the covert name of supplements do not require many tests to be done to them by the government like the medication is subjected to. The side effects are not even checked and hence these are directly transferred to the consumers. There are a lot of health cases that have come up because of such things as diet pills which did not meet the standards of the government. The government is a task here to ensure that the diet pills are subjected to the tests that other medication products are subjected to. This is because human lives are at risk here (Rybacki, p. 325).

The companies have also taken up the habit of selling drugs that are supposed to help in weight loss only for the drugs not to work. This habit has led to the loss of consumers’ income as well as unscrupulously enriching the owners of these countries. Worse still is the companies selling stimulants under the name of diet pills and they have gained a lot of income after various users have become addicted to these drugs. The consumers find themselves in a fix because they cannot quit the drugs. This is raising concern and the government should move in to curb this behavior from these companies (Opus Communications, p. 158).

One of the major reasons the government needs to regulate this industry is the fact that continued use of diet pills is culminating in deaths from various causes which can all be rooted in diet pills. Apart from the fact that the drugs subject and expose their users to a contingency of terminal diseases and conditions like cancer and diabetes, other side effects are leading to the death of thousands of people. One of them is the fact that diet pills have subjected many people to the culture of abnormal eating behaviors which are causing a lot of deaths in recent times.

Why government should not regulate the use of diet pills

The people have the right to use any supplement they find are to their advantage and government regulating the use of diet pills may be seen by some as an infringement of the peoples’ rights. This is because many people feel that diet pills work and they are beneficial to them. This can explain the increased use of diet pills. What the government can do is to put policies in place which prohibit manufacturing companies from adding addictive additives and stimulants from the diet pills.

Many people’s lifestyles cannot allow them to engage in physical exercises and if the government comes up with policies regulating the usage of diet pills, then many people will have problems with their weight. Many people who work cannot find the time to indulge in physical exercises and hence they may require to use diet pills to control their weight. These people may face health problems and this may lead to even death and the government also has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of their citizens.

The United States already has a weight problem and a substantial percentage of the population have weight problems and are obese. The government should encourage everything that will help fight this health threat in the country. One of the things that might help is the use of diet pills and the government’s regulation may hinder their successes. The only thing government needs to do is to place policies that control the chemicals used in the production of the diet pills so as to reduce the risk involved in using them.

Side effects

There are many side effects related to the use of diet pills. The side effects may range from simple conditions and be elevated even to cause some terminal diseases like cancer and diabetes. Some of these drugs are related to exposing their users to life-threatening conditions and also severe side effects. These side effects are mostly related to their mechanism of operation in the human body and they may subject their users to such conditions as palpitations, faster heart rate, agitation, restlessness, closed-angle glaucoma, drug addiction, and even high blood pressure (Bosker, p. 211).

The drugs that control the body’s absorption of various food into the body system also have a number of side effects. Orlistat, which prevents the body from absorbing fats may cause the user to have some conditions which range from oily stools, flatulence, oily spotting bowel movements, and stomach pains (Silverman, p. 15).

Consequences of diet pills use

In today’s society, being thin is a fashionable thing and people are very cautious of their looks. This has made the use of diet pills skyrocket and people are using these drugs without considering the consequences that are involved in the use of diet pills. It is an important fact to note that the best way to control body weight is to eat healthy food and be involved in some form of exercise. The use of diet pills has been classified by some experts as a temporary solution to a problem that may take one’s lifetime to solve. The perfect body weight is only achievable if the individual adopts a healthier life and stick to the discipline that prevents weight gain and related complications that are related to body weight. When one is involved in healthy activities, he or she not only gains control over the bodyweight but he or she is also able to prevent some other diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases (DiCyan, p. 125).

The individuals who use diet pills are not rid of the problems forever and they may have to use the pills for the rest of their lives. This is because as soon as they stop using the drugs, their weight shoots up again and may even be more than it had been when they started using diet pills. This has been nicknamed the ‘yo-yo syndrome’ because the weight keeps going up and down like a yo-yo. The consequences of using diet pills include psychological dependency because of the feelings of failure that an individual feels until he resorts to using the pills. It may also result in muscle loss and perturbed concentration especially in various occupations where mental concentration is vital. There is also the addition of these pills especially the pills that also double up as stimulants (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, p. 122).

Another consequence of using drugs is the condition of eating disorders which has affected many people around the globe today. There are various symptoms of eating disorders which include bone mass reduction and mouth and teeth infections and changes that make the teeth erode and become brittle. Eating disorders are a serious condition and may even lead to death if it is not taken care of in good time and the proper medication given to the victim of such a condition (Silverman, p. 23).

There is also the concern of people struggling with some unrealistic small bodies which is a concern in modern times. Although obesity is a problem in developed and developing countries, there is the concern that people are struggling with such small and thin body figures that they look unhealthy and weak. In a real sense, these people are sometimes weak and unhealthy and they have an image of themselves that is unrealistic (Opus Communications, p. 158).

How the government can regulate the production and usage of diet pills

One way the government can regulate the production of diet pills is through establishing policies that will discourage the use of diet pills as an over-the-counter transaction, but only in cases where the drugs are seen as being more beneficial to a patient than risky. This can be achieved by restricting the retailers of drugs against selling diet pills to people who do not have prescriptions from hospitals and medical organizations. These will help reduce the wanton use of these drugs which bring a lot of physical and mental health complications (Griffith, p. 69).

The government should also come up with policies that dictate to the pharmaceutical companies that are involved in the production of these drugs to give all information to the consumers as well as other institutions concerned so that the consumers and the government institutions of the side effects so that the consumers can judge for themselves if it is worth to take the drugs and the government institutions concerned should also come up with their judgment whether the drug is worth to be in the market or whether it is hazardous to the consumers and hence should be banned from being sold in all outlets in the country (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 126).

The government should also ensure that the drugs produced by these companies are for their intended purposed and not other purposes like stimulation. Many companies have been known to increase the sales volume when they are involved in unscrupulous deals which give way to the rising of stimulants being passed as diet pills. Appropriate measures and policies should be introduced to deter these companies from doing such things as they act as a health hazard to the people. Heavy penalties should be directed to culprits and the possible closure and license cancellation of these companies should be effected upon the companies being found guilty of those behaviors (Caldwell, p. 96).

Conclusion

Diet pills have been seen by many experts as causing more problems than solutions to the people. However, this has escalated with the diet pills companies taking advantage of an excited population who are keen about their weight and how they look to increase their commercial advantages and they have played tricks by advertising about drugs that do not work, drugs rigged with stimulants, and drugs which have severe side effects and consequences (Bosker, p. 231).

The government is responsible for ensuring the safety of their citizens has the task of regulating the flow of these pills and they can do so by coming up with policies, legislations, and acts which discourage the use of diet pills and the abuse that is directed to the consumers by the producers. The consumers should also adopt lifestyles that are healthy and hence remove the need for them to be dependent on these pills as they cause a lot of harm than good.

The government should come up with policies that control the use of diet pills as they are both beneficial and harmful to the population who use them. Many people need diet pills to keep in shape since they cannot afford to live a healthy lifestyle that involves doing physical exercises. The government should come to a compromise to ensure the safe usage of diet pills which should be free of any addictive additives and stimulants.

Works cited

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The Pharmacist’s Guide to Your Medication. Maryland: ASHP Publications, 2000.
Bosker, Gideon. Pills That Work, Pills That Don’t: Demanding and Getting the Best and Safest Medications for You and Your Family. New York: Harmony Books, 1997.
Caldwell, Chip, and Charles Denham. Medication Safety and Cost Recovery: A Four Step Approach for Executives. Chicago: Health Administration Press, 2001.
DiCyan, Erwin, and Lawrence Hessman. Without Prescription: A Guide to the Selection and Use of Medicines You Can Get Over-The-Counter for Safe Self-Medication. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972.
Griffith, H. Winter. Complete Guide to Prescription & Nonprescription Drugs. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2002.
Opus Communications. First Do No Harm: A Practical Guide to Medication Safety and JCAHO Compliance. Massachusetts: Opus Communications, 1999.
Rybacki, James J. The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs 2003: Everything You Need to Know for Safe Drug Use. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
Silverman, Harold M. The Pill Book. 10th Ed. New York, NY: Bantam Books. 2002.

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