By Hugh C. McBride

A little over a month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its list of tainted (and thus to be avoided) weight loss supplements to include 72 products, the agency issued a warning that advised consumers to immediately cease using 14 products that contain the Canadian-made supplement Hydroxycut.

Produced by Iovate Health Sciences of Oakville, Ontario, and distributed in the United States by an American subsidiary of the Canadian company, Hydroxycut weight loss products are marketed mainly to dieters and bodybuilders.

The products are advertised as being composed of natural ingredients, but a May 1 Associated Press article reported that the FDA (which is not required to evaluate natural supplements) got involved following reports that use of the products had been associated with several cases of liver damage and at least one death.

Fourteen Dangerous Products

The following excerpt from a May 1, 2009 FDA press release details the reasons behind the warning:

The FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. One death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA. Other health problems reported include seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.

Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle. Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.

"The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist," Linda Katz, M.D., interim chief medical officer of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said in the May 1 release.

Iovate Health Sciences has agreed to pull the following 14 products from the market, the FDA reports:

•    Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
•    Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
•    Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
•    Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
•    Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
•    Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
•    Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
•    Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
•    Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
•    Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
•    Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
•    Hydroxycut 24
•    Hydroxycut Carb Control
•    Hydroxycut Natural

Other Diet Dangers

Hydroxycut is far from the only danger facing overweight individuals who are looking for a shortcut to a healthier body mass index.

As rates of overweight and obesity continue to soar in the United States, many Americans continue to turn to fad diets and dangerous substances in search of a "quick and easy" solution to their weight-related dilemmas. Ignoring the advice of experts, millions of overweight individuals have adopted dangerous fad diets and purchased diet pills and "supplements" that promise rapid and easy weight loss.

From Hydroxycut to the 72 products on the FDA's list of tainted weight loss supplements, these substances can lead to severe health problems, and may even be fatal. In the case of fad diets, the plans usually result in dramatic initial weight loss (often fueled by an unhealthy dehydration) followed by a significant increase. Overweight individuals who use diet pills or follow fad diets often end up heavier than they were when they started, and also suffer from a sense of disappointment as well as a range of potential health problems.

An FDA publication from 1992 titled Facts About Weight Loss Products and Programs expresses the reality of weight loss quite clearly:

Any claims that you can lose weight effortlessly are false. The only proven way to lose weight is either to reduce the number of calories you eat or to increase the number of calories you burn off through exercise. Most experts recommend a combination of both. ...

To achieve long-term results, it's best to avoid quick-fix schemes and complex regimens. Focus instead on making modest changes to your life's daily routine. A balanced, healthy diet and sensible, regular exercise are the keys to maintaining your ideal weight.

The Safe & Smart Way to Lose Weight

Though they often promise rapid results with little effort, the truth is clear: Diet pills, supplements, and fad diets are dangerous and ineffective ways of losing weight.

In almost every circumstance, a healthy weight loss plan involves eating a nutritious diet and getting adequate amounts of exercise. For some people, adopting this lifestyle is simply a matter of making a few adjustments to the way they live their lives, but for those whose weight problems are particularly significant, outside professional intervention may be called for.

Many overweight individuals have found success by incorporating changes under the guidance of their primary care physicians, while others have benefitted from the more comprehensive support and intensive instruction offered at a residential weight loss program.