The dangers of a quick fix

With one-third of dieters admitting to buying slimming pills online, we investigate the risks of this so-called ‘speedy’ solution

It’s the time of year when most of us will be looking to shed a few pounds in a bid to succeed with New Year’s resolutions. And while memberships for gyms, slimming groups and diet plans peak in January, there are many desperate for a faster way to slim down.

Diet pills, promising to ‘burn through fat’ and promote faster weight loss are being sold online – but many contain potentially harmful chemicals that have been linked to cardiac arrest and stroke.

A government survey found that some diet pills, available from unregulated websites, include ingredients like DNP (2,4-Dinitrophenol), which has a variety of industrial uses, including as a photographic chemical, a fertiliser and in the manufacturing of dyes and explosives. Shockingly, the same survey found that one-third of people trying to lose weight in the UK have bought potentially harmful slimming pills from the internet, without realising the danger they could be putting themselves in. In April 2015, Eloise Parry died aged 21 in Shrewsbury Hospital after taking eight diet pills containing DNP that she’d purchased online. And, just recently, an investigation into diet pills uncovered some being sold for as little as 90p to teenagers on Instagram. While safer slimming pills are available to buy over the counter in reputable stores, it’s the cheaper alternatives that are being sold by unregulated sellers that prove to be the most dangerous. And, most shockingly, they’re available to buy with just a few clicks of your mouse.