Each year, millions of Americans resolve to lose weight—it is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. Many people start off with great intentions, but within months, weeks, or even days, most
of them give up and return to their usual habits. If they work to lose weight, the possibility exists that they might end up regaining any weight they lost.

Americans spend up to $30 billion each year on various methods of weight loss, and often see little improvement for their investment. Money is spent on gym memberships, exercise equipment, and weight loss supplements. For many morbidly obese people, …

Phenylpropanolamine is similar to amphetamine, but does not cause euphoria and does not have the same potential for abuse. Phenylpropanolamine was used as a cough and cold agent initially, since it relieves congestion associated with the common cold. Before long, people realized that it caused
appetite suppression and that they were able to lose weight while taking it. In the 1940s, phenylpropanolamine became popular as a diet aid and stimulant. In 1951, the FDA enacted laws requiring people to have a doctor’s prescription to obtain certain drugs; phenylpropanolamine, however, was not covered by these regulations.

Phenylropanolamine was initially believed to have a …

Fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine were marketed under the brand names Redux® and Pondimin®, respectively. Fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine are chemically similar to amphetamine, but they work differently in the body. These drugs exert their effects by increasing the release of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) in the brain, leading to appetite suppression.

Fenfluramine (“fen”) and dexfenfluramine (“dexfen”) were prescription appetite suppressants that had been approved by the FDA for the short-term management of obesity. A landmark study completed in 1992 showed that fenfluramine, when combined with the weight-loss drug phentermine, was very effective for weight loss over the short term. The study results were widely …

DINITROPHENOL
Another drug that came in “under the radar”—that is, before FDA review or doctors’ prescriptions were required—was dinitrophenol. Dinitrophenol, which was later discovered to be a respiratory poison, was introduced for weight loss in 1933. This drug increased metabolism to induce weight loss. Used alone, or with thyroid hormones, dinitrophenol produced rapid weight loss accompanied by symptoms of
warmth, sweating, and fever. Approximately 100,000 people were treated with dinitrophenol before it was found to produce extremely dangerous side effects, including liver problems, vision impairment (from formation of cataracts), a weakening of the body’s ability to fight infection, lung problems, and …