Afraid you'll put pounds back on after whittling
down your waist? A new study weighs in on who'll
maintain their newly svelte figure--and who'll
regain their old one.
One heavy difference: Those who regain weight
are more emotionally vulnerable, according to
Maureen McGuire, M.D., of the University of
Pittsburgh Medical School, who monitored participants
who had lost at least 30 pounds and kept them
off for at least a year. A year later, she found,
people who regained tended to "weight cycle,"
meaning that they lost and gained pounds more
frequently than maintainers. |
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They were heavier at the outset, had sustained weight
loss for less time, and had lost more weight at one
time than those who successfully kept their weight
down. Behaviorally, they displayed higher dietary
disinhibition--or lack of control over eating habits--as
well as depressive symptoms. Maintainers, however,
were more emotionally stable, keeping weight off for
longer at the study's start and holding fast to new
dietary and exercise regimens.
McGuire believes that maintainers are protected psychologically
from lapsing into their former weight-gaining habits,
and suggests that troubled dieters seek help for their
control issues and what may be forms of depression.
If you can maintain weight loss for at least two to
five years, she advises, you have a better shot at
keeping pounds off for good.
Ephedrine and
its use in Weight Loss
Throughout the late nineteenth century and into
the new millennium, there has been a tremendous desire
among women to lose weight. Women today will do anything
to achieve their belief of the perfect figure. While
the “Barbie” look was at one time looked
upon as unhealthy, it is now considered expected.
For some reason women feel the need to keep up with
Hollywood and its stars. Of course it does not help
when the cover of any fashion magazine is pasted with
size-zero models. After reading a magazine filled
with beautiful, skinny women, people usually feel
worse about the way they look, not better. |
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So it is
no surprise that the trend to lose weight has taken
off in the past couple of years. And with this trend
comes the increased popularity in “weight-loss”
products. One can find any type of product now that
claims to lose weight effectively, but at what cost
to his/her health? One very controversial herb found
in diet pills or food supplements is ephedrine.
Purpose of Ephedrine:
While ephedrine is used to treat low blood pressure
and chronic asthma, it is more popularly used in diet
pills (http://www.ravehard.com/doctor/ephidra.htm).
Ephedrine is a natural stimulant found in many diet
pills offered today. According to the Clinical Toxicology
Review, ephedrine mainly affects the cardiovascular
and respiratory systems of the body. This means that
it constricts blood vessels and enhances certain actions
of the heart (http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000401/msgs/29022.html).
In a clinical review; Capri-Mara Fillmore, Lisa Bartoli,
Richard Bach, and Young Park 1999, they stated that
ephedrine stimulates the sympathomimetic and central
nervous system. Ephedrine is usually mixed with other
stimulants like caffeine and appetite suppressants
to create a pill that companies claim help a person
to lose weight without diet or exercise.
Rationale of Ephedrine:
Metabolife, one of the most popular diet pills,
contains the herb ephedrine and according to its web
site, http://www.metabolife.com/shop/356.html, Metabolife
raises the body’s metabolism safely and effectively,
but instead of burning both fat and muscle, Metabolife
will only reduce the fat content. Supposedly after
taking this “precisely blended” pill,
one will feel a dramatic increase in her energy level,
but not in his/her appetite. It sounds almost too
easy to be true. One user’s definition of how
Metabolife works is that it “speeds up your
heart…just like when you exercise. And your
body interprets this as exercise…” (http://athinu.com/wboard/messages/71.html).
However, Metabolife is not the only diet pill known
to use ephedrine.
Another competitor, Xenadrine, also uses ephedrine
in its long list of ingredients. This company claims
that if a person used its product, then he/she would
experience a fat decrease of seventeen times more
than if he/she only dieted and exercised. It also
says that it will keep muscle toned while losing weight
(http://www.xenadrine.com). In a clinical review by
Luke Bucci (Bucci 2000 p.631S), “lean mass is
preserved better with ephedrine-containing combinations
during weight loss.” Bucci also states that
ephedrine is prohibited for sporting events due to
its affect on physical enhancement. Exercise in a
bottle does sound inviting, but how can one be sure
that these products actually do what they claim?
While the effects of ephedrine sound appealing, the
effectiveness is only short-lived. It may be true
that one will lose weight while taking diet pills
that contain ephedrine, but once he/she is off of
these pills he/she will gain weight if good nutrition
and exercise are not continued. It is true that ephedrine
works, but in order to maintain the weight loss, one
must continue taking the pills. Ephedrine is a very
controversial drug that has been clinically proven
to have adverse side effects if not taken properly.
It has also been proven to be effective in weight
loss studies. It is up to the consumer whether he/she
should take this drug. it. In conclusion, to maintain
a healthy body, one must make an effort to take care
of it.
