Rise in the Use of Dangerous Weight Loss Pills

There has been a rise in the amount of doctors seeking professional advice in regards to a particular weight loss drug, known as DNP.
The National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) carried out research to assess how quickly DNP is rising in popularity. They found that last year there were 300 enquiries by GPs related to the drug, compared to just six in 2012.
The drug has been banned for sale as use as a weight loss pill, but is still available because of its use as a pesticide. It speeds up a person’s metabolism allowing them to lose weight or gain muscle quicker, but use can also lead to organ failure.
NPIS directly link the increase in enquiries to an increased use of the substance.
“One of the worrying things about DNP is the unpredictability… We know that there are people who use it over a period of time and have been fine and then suddenly developed high fevers and multi-organ failures and end up in hospital” said Prof. Simon Thomas, a consultant physician.
Between 2007 and 2013 there were five deaths caused by DNP, and many more cases of people suffering from the harmful effects of the drugs.
“We think the most likely group are men who are using DNP as part of a body building and body sculpting regime,” Prof. Thomas added.
An ex-user of the drug, aged 25 from Kent, said “I was taking the product once a day. I upped it to two. It was awful to take and made me feel very lethargic.
“I literally had no energy whatsoever, was constantly down, it was horrible and I’d never take it again. But admittedly it did work.”
Drastic measures are often not the way to go when attempting to lose weight and tone up. A balanced diet can give all the nutrients and energy instead while keeping you healthy.