Are diet pills the answer?

Question

Im 13 years old, 5' 4'', and 100 pounds. I am totally fat and ive tried everything. Dieting, eating right, exercising and everything else (ive even tried being anorexic and bulimic) but nothing seems to work. Ive come to the conclusion that after watching many diet commercials that i want to experiment with diet pills but i have many questions.

What are the pros and cons of my solution of using diet pills?
Will they work?
Am i allowed to take them at the age of 13 without a prescription?
Are they expensive?
Which ones should i use/buy?

PLEASE HELP!

No honestly Im serious. I work out at 24 hour fitness every morning, I eat healthy, and everything. I even tried weight watchers program but nothing seems to work for me :[

Answer 1

DO NOT TAKE DIET PILLS! They are dangerous!!

Last year I was visiting my parents and took diet pills (Leptopril -does not contain ephedra) on top on my exercise routine and normal diet. I was 26 at the time, 5'11, 180 lbs. By week three I was sick. I had diarrhea, dry heaves, dizziness, headaches, and a general feeling of being sick. I thought I had caught the flu or something. I had lost 13 lbs in 4 days. One morning I told my mom I didn't feel good. My vision kept blacking out and I felt (for lack of a better way to say it) stoned. Later that afternoon I was walking from the bathroom to my bedroom (a 5 foot walk) and I passed out. I was rushed to the hospital emergency where they did a bunch of tests on me.

My pulse was up to 120, My blood pressure was 150/40, they had to start me on an IV, the did an EKG on me, took blood and urine samples, and a whole barrage of other tests.

They finally got me stabilized and said that I was dehydrated and malnutritioned. I told him that I took diet pills. When I mentioned diet pill, the doctors face lit up and said that's why. He said they can cause a whole bunch of health problems, including death. He told me to toss the diet pills or next time I might not be so lucky.

I was kept in the hospital for almost 10 hours, given 3 or 4 IVs, potassium, juices, and monitored (by the EKG, blood pressure, and heart rate machines) every 15 minutes.

Please take my story as a warning. If you seriously want to loose weight there are better ways (I know because I've lost weight after this)

The quickest way is to cut out red meats, starches, breads, sugars, alcohol, and sodas.

Eat veggies (salads are good), soups, and drink TONS of water. If you get hungry between a meal, drink water to fill up.

In moderation eat white meats, and fruits (fruits contain natural sugars, and that can put on weight)

Practice portion control. Yes, you'll feel hungry at first, but think of your goal, and soon your stomach will start shrinking and you won't have that feeling anymore.

Eat 5 times a day. A small breakfast. A mid-morning snack, such as an apple. A small lunch. A mid-afternoon snack, such as carrots. A lite dinner. Do not eat any later than 7pm (6pm is better.)

Go exercise for at least an hour a day, incorporating weight training. Weight training builds muscle. Muscle burns fat. You get the idea. It also gives tone and definition. Also do a few yoga and pilates exercises to help tone those hard to reach and stubborn areas.

Answer 2

I have had a weight problem most of my life, I entered the military and they wanted to put me out because I was over weight. No matter what I did I would lose and then gain it back plus a little bit more. Last Spring I weighed a lot and the Doctor found that I was a diabetic. I changed my life around Since last May I have lost 67 lbs. I did two things I counted carbohydrates and calories. I checked to see how many calories I could have to maintain my weight, after determining that I would use about 2000 calories a day. I reduced my intake to about 1800 calories for you folks that have never had this problem, 200 calories is about a piece of toast with butter in the morning. You have to eat from all the different food groups but just cut back a few calories a day and you will lose weight. You have a few other concerns. You are still growing and you really don't want to deprive your body of the nutrients that you need. You will also not lose as fast as you would like to. You are a female and as such you need to have a higher fat content than a male. Don 't get discouraged. I also want to make sure that you understand that these diets that you go on are able to take the weight off but they are short lived. You have to relearn how to and what to eat. good luck.

EDit note; some folks are going to tell you to exercise, and while I know that that is very healthy and some thing that would be good for you to do. You would stop pretty fast as you started to gain weight. Exercise will make your mucles bigger, muscles weigh more than fat. So if you decide to exercise that is fine but remember that you are going to gain weight from it. Exercise but keep a limit on it.

Answer 3

I have a daughter that is your age....she struggles with weight issues. Often thinking that she is "Too Big Weigtwise" for her height and age. But, as a female who struggled with weight issues in her teen years, a mother and a nurse.......diet pills are not the answer. Has your mother taken you to a physician for a physical within the past year and if so did they do labwork on you? If you are excericising on a regular basis, watching your food intake being sure to keep the amount of fat to a minimum, keeping your calories down you could have an underlying issue such as a thyroid problem which could cause your weight loss to be impossible. Also, just so you know.....you are actually within your weight range dear. Just because you are not a stick figure with a bobble head doesnt mean that you are not a gorgeous girl. I would like to suggest you speak with your Mother about feeling that you want to start taking diet pills. They can have some very serious side effects including fatal (DEADLY) heart attacks. Anorexia and Bulimia too come with many harsh effects on your body. You can actually rupture your esophagus, cause bleeding ulcers which can be very dangerous as well. At the age of 13 you are not legally permitted to purchase over the counter diet pills. At your age your body goes through a lot of hormonal changes also which sometimes can also cause you to gain weight, water retention and things of that nature. I am going to suggest that you speak with your Mother and have her make you an appointment with your physician so that they can run some labs on you and then go from there. I dont mean to sound like a nagging Mom.....but I am one :) but my main focus here is your health and safety. Keep your chin up and keep up on the excercising and watching your diet. Let us know how things are going for you later down the road!

Answer 4

5'4, 100 lbs. YOU'RE NOT FAT!

But if you really want to keep a healthy body. Just exercise and eat right, without thinking too much of losing a million pounds (exaggerating!) in one month. Just live a healthy lifestyle and you'll be fine.

In the long run I don't think that diet pills have pros because they only provide superficial weight loss. And yes I don't think that they'd sell you diet pills legally. And anything that you are able to purchase illegally would most likely be harmful for you.

Some dieticians suggest eating vegetables before your big meals so that you won't feel the need to overeat. Eat foods with fiber. Choose non-fat. Lower your sugar intake. Say no to junk food. Eat moderately - if you're already satisfied, don't continue eating until you feel bloated.

Bottomline - don't start using diet pills!

Answer 5

If you think you are a little obese than don't worry, do some sports, jogging ,cycling swimming would be the best to loose extra fat. but I don't think 100 pounds is too much for 5.4 you can achieve your goal of loosing the extra fat in 6 months or so , just do the exercise regularly more than 40 minutes it will help you control your diet too, when you exercise more than 30 min you don't need to eat much that's the science, if you exercise less than 25 min you feel more hungry and eat more and it will make you more fat than you are. diet pills are good for those who are extreme fat , diet pills has the negative effects but not more than the extra fat , extra fat can cause more problems but not for you, you are young and can do exercise. don't pay attention to the diet commercials they are just money making techniques. Just eat home made food.

Answer 6

Please don't do that. Diet pills ruined my sister's life. They become addicting, and make you feel like you're on speed. She has 3 kids now, and can't take care of them properly because she keeps them up late because she has so much energy. I know you're only 13 and I'm talking about my sister who is like, 30 something. But if you start at a young age you can really get addicted to them. Don't use diet pills!! And anyway, you're too young to buy them yourself. You'd have to find somone who was 18.

And I know you're not fat, because 100 pounds is nothing! lol, you should feel very lucky to be 100 pounds.

Answer 7

No diet pills--they aren't the answer. exercise and eat healthy. That is the only way to control your weight.

Also, get to know yourself. Why are you overweight? Are you unhappy? Talk to a school counselor or someone you respect about your problem but stay away from the diet pills. They aren't the answer.

Answer 8

Diet pills are the answer if the question is " how do I waste my money and endanger my health?" You are 13. you are not "totally" fat. Reasonable diet and exercise are the only way to lose weight. Give it time. Do not expect results over night....see a therapist about body issues....you will hurt yourself if you keep this up.

Answer 9

My ex wears a size 6 and is 5'2" and weighs 115lbs. How in the world can you be fat being 2 inches taller and 15lbs lighter?

If you want to quit being fat, then quit looking at those stupid magazines and watching those stupid shows that say you have to be a certain size and shape.

One other thing. If you keep going this way, when you are in college you are going to look like a boy.

Answer 10

1. You are not fat 5'4 and 100 pounds is NOT FAT! Dont become boleminc, or anorexic, it is HORRIBLE for you, you can even die from it. Diet pills do not work.. it is a hoax. Dont worry, just eat right and exersize.

Diet pills dont work...it would be a waste of money.