Medical experts have warned that taking slimming teas and medications with the intent to lose weight raises the risk of kidney and liver damage.
They instead, recommended a safer approach that entails embracing healthy eating habits and regular exercise.
According to them, some slimming teas lack scientific evidence backing their efficacy as claimed by manufacturers and marketers, while certain medications have undesirable side effects.
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The experts concluded that no one can lose weight within a few days or weeks by merely taking certain teas or medications, and warned that many of them touted as efficacious have ingredients that tend to cause excessive diarrhoea.
National Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Adewale Oladigbolu, while speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, decried the fact that Nigeria had become a dumping ground for weight loss products.
He noted that some of the drugs used for weight loss could be subjected to abuse by users over time.
Oladigbolu, who is a fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, pointed out that many products marketed for weight loss have not passed through robust scientific evaluation by the regulatory agencies to validate their claims and efficacy.
He said, “People should know that drugs are foreign to our bodies. So, when we ingest them, they must pass through some processes to be able to leave the body. Those processes depend on the liver and kidney to carry out that function.
“People using some of these weight loss products risk liver and kidney injury. These are critical organs to the overall health of the patients. And some of these injuries take a long period before they even start to manifest.
“Most of the time, if care is not taken, once it gets to a particular point, there is no reversal. So, they cause morbidity and mortality.”
Oladigbolu said the regulatory agencies should do more to ascertain the safety of weight loss products being marketed in the country and urged Nigerians to seek healthcare advice from qualified personnel.
“So, the general recommendation for losing weight is calorie control and exercise. If you are taking a drug to lose weight, you must be very sure of what you are taking.
“You need the recommendation of a doctor or pharmacist, who must have evaluated you and knows that the drug will do more good to your body than harm”, he added.
According to Cleveland Clinic, most herbal supplements have limited or no consistent data to support long-term weight loss efficacy and safety.
Also speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, a Professor of Nursing Science at the University of Calabar, Cross River State, Mary Mgbekem, noted that weight reduction should not be drastic, but rather, should be done using diet and certain lifestyle modifications.
She said, “Weight loss simply means a reduction of the total body mass by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue or lean body mass, bone mineral deposits, muscle and connective tissues).
“Excessive weight gain and obesity are now an emerging epidemic globally. Reduction in weight loss is advertised every day on the internet and in all forms of media nowadays.
“Slimming teas and medications are purported to be the immediate solutions to weight loss. Slimming teas or weight loss teas are very common and have been around with us for years. Like slimming pills and fad diets, they are sold as another magic bullet for weight loss.
“These teas are often marketed as skinny teas, detox tea or skinning coffee. These teas feed on an individual’s desire to lose weight fast even if it means compromising health.”
She told our correspondent that some users of slimming teas come down with serious health complications and said some of the ingredients in the teas do not promote any weight loss at all.
Professor Mgbekem, described the marketing of slimming products as a scam, adding, “These teas for me are a marketing scam that helps people to waste their money.
“The advertisers claim they contain herbal ingredients such as dandelion leaves or ginseng roots, which all sound very natural and safe. Often, some of the ingredients don’t promote any weight loss at all.
“Some of the teas often contain senna, which is a laxative for the treatment of constipation, so when non-constipated individuals take them, they will have diarrhoea.”
“Some of the products contain caffeine, so when taken in large quantities, can make one feel anxious, shaky and possibly, with heart palpitations.”
The professor further noted that most slimming teas with spurious claims have been linked to many health complications.
Highlighting recommended methods of weight loss, she suggested dietary intervention and lifestyle modification, stressing that they are an essential part of lifestyle modification.
She said, “Many types of diets are propagated for weight loss and no single diet can be universally applicable to everyone.
“Diet has to be tailored according to affordability, comorbidities, food preferences, and cultural factors. The most commonly recommended diets are those rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, seafood, fish, and olive oil.
The primary source of nutrients is plant-based, rich in fibres, low in glycemic load, and high in antioxidants and micronutrients.”
the Professor of Nursing Science advised those desiring to lose weight to shun junk food, embrace a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly.
She maintained that slimming teas and medications are just marketed to attract the attention of those conscious of their weight and who are eager to lose the pounds immediately.
Meanwhile, the United States Food and Drug Administration has warned against the use of most dietary supplements, including slimming teas, mainly due to a lack of reliable studies and evidence of their safety or effectiveness.
(Punch)
