Our global weight problem is a concern to health organizations everywhere as there has been a corresponding increase in health issues; the problem has now extended to younger and younger children who are affected, with the fear they will grow into overweight adults. The patient ones have to decide to face this problem by adjusting their diet and taking more exercise but the impatient ones usually decide on surgery. However, desperate people often make poor decisions and decide to take weight loss drugs as they are less expensive than surgery.

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. Newer drugs were developed and started to be prescribed by physicians and dieticians, some of these drugs are currently waiting for the Federal Drug Administration go ahead.

You may in fact know someone who has used these pills at some time and has first hand experience of how effective they can be. This is obviously a very tempting prospect, to lose weight whilst eating the same diet. As a consequence, drug companies spend millions of dollars in research on weight loss drugs while consumers spend even more buying the pills.

The more recent weight control pills can be prescribed by your doctor, dietitian or purchased in a drug store and despite the advances made in the drug manufacture, there are still dangers including vomiting and stomach problems. Surprisingly more dangerous side effects exist including stroke, heart attack, renal failure to name only a few, so these drugs are still far from safe to use.

The side effects will depend on the person taking the medicine and can be related to their lifestyle; a consultation with the doctor first, rather than buying them over the counter, can help to reduce side effects; stopping using the drugs completely may not eradicate all the problems they may have caused. The side effects experienced by users of weight loss pills can include noticeable mood swings, hyper-activity, stomach pains, insomnia, nightmares, severe irritability, extreme fatigue, depression, nausea, vomiting and trembling.

Whilst the effectiveness of these weight loss drugs is not in question, they are more effective if they are used alongside a controlled diet and exercise regime. This means eating a good diet containing food from all the food groups that includes vitamins and minerals; fiber can be found in oats, rice, potatoes, cereals, vegetables and fruits.

A person can jog every morning or sign up and workout in a gym but just as a person should consult a doctor before taking medicines, a doctor should also be consulted prior to undertaking any form of exercise. The most efficient exercise should be regular and contain a mixture of cardiovascular (walking, swimming etc.) and weight training using machines to build muscle, burn off excess calories and lose the extra pounds.