One in seven have taken diet pills

ATLANTA, March 1 More than one in seven U.S. adults have used non-prescription dietary supplements to try to lose weight, a government report found.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta questioned 9,500 people over the age of 18 about the prevalence and duration of their non-prescription weight-loss supplement use, how they controlled their weight, whether they discussed use with a healthcare professional and what ingredients were in the supplements.

Approximately 15 percent of the respondents said they had used weight-loss supplements, while 8.7 percent said they had done so in the past year. Almost 17 percent of women 18 to 34 years old used weight-loss supplements.

Seventy-four percent said they have used a supplement containing a stimulant including ephedra, caffeine and/or bitter orange, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Qualified professionals should inquire about use of supplements for weight loss to facilitate discussion about the lack of efficacy data, possible adverse effects, as well as dispel misinformation that may interfere with sound weight-management practices, the authors said.

Copyright 2007 by UPI

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