If you have a pound or two too many and want to lose the extra weight, various kinds of weight loss pills can help.

However, there is a wide range of products from all kinds of manufacturers, and they differ greatly from one another in how they work.

Weight loss pills

What can weight loss pills really do?

Weight loss pills like these are meant to help you lose excess, unwanted weight. These pills differ, however, in their composition and how they work. There are, for example, carb blockers, appetite suppressants and fat binders, and each of these products promises visible results, either in the short or the longer term.

However, none of these products is a miracle cure that melts the pounds away without much effort. Each of the products mentioned above has a different effect. An appetite suppressant, for example, helps you eat less. It suppresses the feeling of hunger. With carb blockers or fat binders, you can eat somewhat more normally and don't have to give up everything to get the weight down. While taking these pills, though, you should generally still eat mindfully. That can improve the effect of the pills and weight loss happens faster.

Weight loss pills

Which active ingredients are in weight loss pills?

Some of these pills contain the active ingredients Chilosan or Orlisan. Both ingredients have a fat-binding effect. In the case of carb blockers, the active ingredient phaseolin is often used. It is meant to ensure that weight can be reduced in a targeted way and without major restrictions in your diet. This intervenes in the digestive process or the metabolism. Because of this potential for interference, a few points should be considered before taking them. One of the most important is that, if you have pre-existing conditions, you should discuss taking them with your family doctor beforehand, since these products are available over the counter at pharmacies or drugstores. Children and pregnant women, on the other hand, should not take such pills, unless the treating doctor gives a corresponding recommendation.

What else should you know about weight loss pills?

Depending on their composition, such pills can also cause one side effect or another. If you take fat binders, your stools may change. Unprocessed fat may then be present in the stool. This can make the stool mushy. There is also a possible risk of digestive problems, allergic reactions and stomach pain. In exceptional cases, fecal incontinence or diarrhea may even occur. Such side effects can also occur with carb blockers or appetite suppressants, because they also act on the digestive tract. In such exceptional cases, you should stop taking them first and soothe your stomach and intestines with gentle food and teas. After that, things will usually return to normal. If that isn't the case, a doctor should be consulted.