Obesity is fast becoming the number one health problem in developed and developing countries around the world; the most worrying aspect is the number of children who are now being diagnosed as obese. In order to lose those excess pounds, many people resort to surgery whereas other people realize that a healthy diet with regular exercise is a better method. Of course if you are really in a hurry then you can always use weight loss medication to speed the process up.

These drugs usually work buy telling the brain it's no longer hungry, stimulating metabolism to aid the shedding of excess fat. It was only after scientists discovered that these drugs had side effects and were related to heart valve disease that they were taken off the shelves. Not to be defeated though, manufacturers have introduced updated drugs, prescribed by doctors but the FDA approval process is slow.

The use of drugs that help weight reduction has become so commonplace that it is almost certain that you know of someone who has tried them. It is a tempting proposition, to lose weight while still maintaining the same diet; who would say no? This approach has seen consumers spend millions of dollars every year and has generated huge profits for the drug companies who manufacture and sell the weight loss drug.

An individual wishing to buy weight control pills can do so over-the-counter or have them prescribed by their doctor; however there are still health risks associated with their use. Other harmful side effects include tightness in the chest, urinary tract problems and stroke. An overdose of the diet pills can cause tremors, confusion, hallucinations, shallow breathing, renal failure even heart attack and convulsions.

The side effects vary depending on the lifestyle and health of the person and can be minimized as long as one consults the doctor first before buying them; it should be noted that if one stops using the drugs, the side effects will not necessarily cease. Problems like depression, nausea, bad mood swings, nightmares, insomnia for example have all been reported when a person has stopped taking the weight control pills.

Although these weight loss drugs do work, an increase in beneficial effects occurs when regular exercise is undertaken along with a change in eating habits. A low calorie diet would consist of meals that contain vitamins, minerals and fiber which are all essential for good health; the best sources are fruit and vegetables.

Exercising will need to be carried out if you want to benefit from the healthy food option but this probably needs to be worked out in advance with your physician. By choosing a cardiovascular routine, the heart will be exercised and will benefit from the use of weights which in turn should help to speed up the person's metabolism so that calories are used up more quickly.