Clinical Digest: Weight Loss and Complementary Health Practices

More than two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese. Achieving a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, and being physically active can help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar—and may also help prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as you know. Your patients may ask you about complementary health approaches for losing weight, such as dietary supplements marketed for weight loss, which are available in supermarkets, pharmacies, health food stores, and the Internet. Although patients may be tempted by the “quick fix” claims of these products, most of these products haven’t been proven safe or effective. Two important safety concerns about dietary supplements for weight loss are the possibilities of drug interactions and product contamination. This issue provides information on “what the science says” about a few popular dietary supplements marketed for weight loss, including acai, bitter orange, ephedra, and green tea, as well as several mind and body practices that are being studied for weight loss.
Source: NCCAM Featured Content - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Source Type: news