Diet pills no better than fakes

A large number of weight-loss supplements don't appear to work any better than placebos (or fake supplements) at helping people shed pounds, a new study has found.

German researchers tested placebos against weight-loss supplements that are popular in Europe. The supplements were touted as having these ingredients: L-Carnitine, polyglucosamine, cabbage powder, guarana seed powder, bean extract, Konjac extract, fibre, sodium alginate and certain plant extracts.

"We found that not a single product was any more effective than placebo pills in producing weight loss over the two months of the study, regardless of how it claims to work," said researcher Thomas Ellrott, head of the Institute for Nutrition and Psychology at the University of Gottingen Medical School in Germany, in a news release from the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, Sweden.

The study

The researchers tested the products and placebos on 189 obese or overweight people, of whom 74% finished the eight-week study. While some participants lost weight, there wasn't a significant difference between those who took the placebos and those who took the real supplements, they reported.

At least some of the supplements are available in the United States. "L-Carnitine is in US supplements, polyglucosamide is found in chitosan, which is still in some weight-loss supplements, and guarana was ordered removed from weight-loss supplements, but it has slowly worked its way back into some products," said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis and former president of the American Dietetic Association.

The real solution

"The main message here that I would encourage people to hear is that medications aren't the magic answer to weight loss. Changes in eating and activity behaviours are the route to long-term changes in weight," Diekman added.

"For those who are extremely overweight, or those whose health is at risk, a conversation with their physician about some of the prescription drugs is advisable, but even then changes in behaviour are key to maintenance of a healthier weight," she said.

The study findings were scheduled to be released Monday at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm. - (HealthDay News, July 2010)