Third of dieters have bought danger slimming pills online
ONE in three slimmers have bought ‘potentially dangerous’ diet pills online, a health watchdog has warned.
Of these, two-thirds suffered unpleasant side effects, including diarrhoea, bleeding and heart problems, a study found.
There are no licensed weight loss drugs for sale in the UK without a prescription.
But websites are illegally selling ‘quick fix’ pills intended to help obese people to lose weight under strict medical supervision.
Some drugs sold as ‘natural’ or ‘herbal’ contain ingredients known to be a health risk. Other pills contain ingredients that have been banned by doctors because they carry increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.
The study, by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, also warned the pills have not passed safety tests, and are often stored in dirty ratinfested warehouses or garden sheds. The survey of 1,800 people, carried out with dieting firm Slimming World, found one-third of slimmers had bought diet pills online.
Three-quarters had bought the pills after being enticed by promises of rapid weight loss, with 57 per cent saying they were attracted by being able to order discreetly. Forty-four per cent had ordered online because they did not want to speak to a GP or pharmacist.
But 63 per cent of those who bought diet pills suffered serious side effects including diarrhoea, bleeding that wouldn’t stop, blurred vision and heart problems.
Four out of ten people admitted they had used the slimming pills despite knowing there were health risks, with 62 per cent doing so because they were ‘desperate to lose weight’.
In 2016, the MHRA seized more than 4.6million fake medical products and closed more than 5,000 websites selling medicines illegally. It has seized around £4million of illegal weight loss pills since 2013.
The majority of diet products are regulated as foods, however the MHRA regularly seizes products that contain withdrawn pharmaceutical ingredients that can put dieters in danger.
Many contain sibutramine, an appetite suppressant that has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. MHRA spokesman Lynda Scammell said: ‘Quick fixes for losing weight may have serious health consequences in the short or long term, including organ failure and death.
‘It’s essential you know what you’re buying online and what the risks are. If you don’t, your weight could end up being the least of your worries.
‘There are reputable groups out there that can support you to lose weight through healthy lifestyle changes. Your GP or healthcare professional will be able to advise you on finding the right option.’ She advised dieters to look at MHRA’s drugs checking system on www.gov.uk/fakemeds to avoid buying dangerous medicines.