Many people use an assortment of dangerous over-the-counter medications while in the clutches of their Eating Disorder, all of which present great dangers whether taken “as directed” or in excess.
Diet Scams
There are many Diet Scams out there that claim “quick and easy weight loss”… most of them don’t work, and in addition can contain harmful chemicals and mixtures of substances that could put you at serious health risks. Don’t be fooled by products claiming to be “All Natural” – Herbal formulas and medicines are not regulated by the FDA/Government and may not even contain what the labels say they do. They can also have too much of a vitamin, mineral or herb, or a dangerous combination of all three (that can be toxic to your system). More often they claim to “work miracles” that are just flat out not true!
Links About Diet Scams:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FTC Consumer Alert on E-Mail Scams
Diet Pills
These range from common over the counter appetite suppressants such as phenylpropanolamine, caffeine pills and ephedrine hydrochloride (ephedrine is not an appetite suppressant, though often misused as one – commonly referred to as “white crosses” or “mini thins”) to prescription medications like Redux and Phen/Fen. There are a wide variety of diet pills on the market that are available, many of them have addictive qualities, and some even contain small amounts of laxative.