Weight loss is difficult and the prevalence of obesity in the United States is increasing. Overall, 32 percent of men and 36 percent of women are obese. Many people are looking for a natural weight loss product that works with few side effects. Once such product that has helped many people is Diet Rx natural appetite suppressant. When patients ask their doctors about natural weight loss products most likely their doctor will give a blank stare since physicians are not familiar with over the counter products. In our opinion, prescription diet products are expensive, do not work as well as the promoters claim, and can have health problems when used longer than a month or two.

Other Weight Loss options to consider
Add a teaspoon of sugar-free psyllium powder (found in all grocery stores) to a glass of water and drink it with each meal. Psyllium absorbs a lot of water and gives you a sense of fullness.
5-HTP is a nutrient that helps curb appetite in some individuals. 5-HTP, by converting into serotonin, can be used temporarily to improve will power and decrease the urge to eat until more established weight loss habits are in place.
Hoodia is a cactus plant extract from the Kalahari desert in South Africa that has been getting a lot of attention lately. Within a few short years it has become one of the most popular slimming products on the market.
A combination of carnitine, choline, and caffeine could be helpful, as found in a study (see below).
Some weight loss products include the herb ginger to reduce nausea.
Caralluma is a cactus found in India.
For more information on weight loss herbs and supplements.
People who are overweight may be able to have weight loss by sprinkling special seasonings and sweeteners on the food they eat. These stimulate the sense of smell and taste, making people feel fuller faster and helping them to eat less.

Diet Tips for Weight Loss
You don't have to finish your plate
Reduce the quantity of late night meals and snacks, and this will help with weight loss. When you eat affects whether the calories go to your hips or get burned off. Mice fed during the daytime -- when they normally would be sleeping -- gained more weight than mice fed at night. Fred Turek of Northwestern University in Illinois reports mice eating during the day, which would be during the night for humans, ended up weighing 7.8 percent more than night-fed mice. This held even though the mice were fed identical amounts of food and exercised the same amount. The International Journal of Obesity, Sept 2009.
Snacking may cause weight gain if snacks are consumed in a non-hungry state.
Reduce calorie dense foods, they are the most likely source of weight gain Substitute Stevia, the no calorie natural sweetener, for sugar.
Reduce any sugared drinks, such as iced teas and soft drinks. Dilute fruit juices with water.
Eat more protein during the day and reduce intake of simple carbohydrates.
Find activities, hobbies, sports, games, or work that you enjoy doing, so you won't be thinking about food as a primary source of pleasure.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for weight loss. Find an activity that you enjoy.
For specific dietary advice, see diet.

Q. In all the "food guides" one sees from government Dept of Health, they say to eat from all food groups. Yet I have been told by people, if you want to lose weight, it's best to cut out starchy stuff (potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, etc) because they trigger too much insulin release and the excess insulin stores as fat. One lady I know lost 50 pounds in about half a year by eliminating (for the most part) these types of foods. Other "conventional wisdom" says that if you eat protein and foods that slow insulin release along with the those that over release insulin, that they will mostly nullify the bad carbs's insulin release and balance out. I am confused. I have quit eating about 90% of things like bread, buns, potatoes, rice, pasta (which I love and miss), hoping to help weight loss. Is there a guide to how to eat (besides "The Zone" ), in order to avoid too much insulin being released?
   A. There are a number of different diet programs and each seems to have their proponents. Many types of diets work, the best approach is to adapt one that suits your needs. The most important aspect of weight loss is to eat fewer calories, no matter what the source of the calories. Daily walks of half an hour make a significant difference, too.

Reasons why weight loss is difficult and more people are becoming obese
Obesity results from consuming more calories than the body uses. Genetic and environmental factors influence body weight, but precisely how they interact to determine a person's weight is still unclear. One proposed explanation is that body weight is regulated around a set point, similar to a thermostat setting. A higher-than-normal set point may explain why some people are obese and why losing weight and maintaining weight loss are difficult for them.
   Socioeconomic factors strongly influence obesity, especially among women. In the United States, obesity is more than twice as common among women in lower socioeconomic groups as among women in higher ones. Why socioeconomic factors have such a strong influence on women's weight is not fully understood, but sanctions against obesity do increase with increasing social status. Women in higher socioeconomic groups have more time and resources for the dieting and exercise that enable them to conform to these social demands.
   Emotional disturbances, once considered an important cause of obesity, are now considered a reaction to the strong prejudice and discrimination against obese people. One type of emotional disturbance, a negative body image, is a serious problem for many young obese women. It leads to extreme self-consciousness and discomfort in social situations.
   Obese people, particularly those who became obese during childhood, may have up to five times more fat cells than people of normal weight. Because the number of cells can't be reduced, weight can be lost only by reducing the amount of fat in each cell.
   Reduced physical activity is probably one of the main reasons for the increase in obesity among people in affluent societies.
   Easy access to calorie-dense foods and drinks, along with a sedentary lifestyle in front of the TV tube are major factors. Rarely, hormonal disorders cause obesity.
   A number of commonly used drugs cause weight gain. They include corticosteroids such as prednisone and many antidepressants, as well as many drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders.

The influence of drinking sweetened drinks
Studies have linked full-calorie sugar-sweetened beverages with greater weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease, even after other unhealthful lifestyle or dietary factors are accounted for.

Weight Loss and silbutramine
After reviewing data from 29 studies of the weight loss agent sibutramine, US researchers have concluded that there is still not enough evidence to accurately evaluate the long-term risk-benefit profile of the drug. A report of the findings, which appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine, indicates that sibutramine is effective at promoting weight loss. However, it is unclear whether the drug actually helps reduce obesity-associated illness and death. Also, the net effect sibutramine has on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease remains to be determined.

Children, weight gain and TV viewing
Preschool children who watch more TV are fatter and are less active, and activity influences total daily energy expenditure. However, despite TV viewing being linked to lower physical activity, the relation between TV viewing and fatness is not mediated by physical activity. A relation between TV viewing and fatness is more likely to be due to an effect on food intake.

Caffeine, carnitine, and choline for weight loss
Caffeine, carnitine and choline supplementation of rats decreases body fat and serum leptin concentration as does exercise.
J Nutr 2000 Feb;130(2):152-7
The effect of a combination of caffeine, carnitine and choline with or without exercise on changes in body weight, fat pad mass, serum leptin concentration and metabolic indices was determined in 20 male, 7-wk-old Sprague-Dawley rats. They were given free access to a nonpurified diet without or with caffeine, carnitine and choline at concentrations of 0.1, 5 and 11.5 g/kg diet, respectively. In a 2x2 factorial design, one-half of each dietary group was exercised, and the other half was sedentary. Body weight and food intake of all rats were measured every day for 28 d. Rats were killed and blood and tissue samples were collected and analyzed for biochemical markers. Food intake of the groups was not different, but the body weight was significantly reduced by exercise in both dietary groups. Fat pad weights and total lipids of epididymal, inguinal and perirenal regions were significantly reduced by the supplements as well as by exercise. Regardless of exercise, supplements significantly lowered triglycerides in serum but increased levels in skeletal muscle. Serum leptin concentrations were equally lowered by supplements and exercise. Serum leptin was correlated with body weight, fat pad weight and serum glucose. We conclude that the indices of body fat loss due to dietary supplements were similar to those due to mild exercise, and there were no interactive effects of the two variables.

Weight loss product questions
Q.  What is best weight loss product?
   A. We are often asked what is the best weight loss product. There are literally thousands of over the counter weight loss products and It is difficult to pick the ones that are most effective and safest since very few studies have been done with natural weight loss products. Furthermore, different people have different preferences. A good weight loss product often has a combination of several natural herbs and supplements.

Q. What do you think of phentermine as a weight loss drug?
   A. See phentermine page for info.

Would tribulus terrestris extract work well as a fast weight loss product?
    We don't think this herb would be effective as a fast  weight loss herbs supplement.