There are several reasons for this caution.

Recognize that ability to store calories as fat is pro survival, when food supply various a lot throughout a year. With steady food supplies, this is anti survival. Eat more calories than you need, of whatever type, and you will put on fat. Even excess protein consumption is stored as fat. Note that high meat diets are high in saturated fat as well as protein.

Most people who try to lose weight do not make permanent changes to life style. They can lose a few pounds in short term, but not keep them off.

Many fast diet schemes are tricks, some even dangerous. Especially bad are those plans which emphasize weight loss, but ignore what component of weight is lost.

WATER LOSS: many plans show quick results because they cause body to drop water. The medical term for such pills is diuretics. Weight-wrap clothing makes one hot, and sweat. The same is achieved with steam rooms, saunas, and like. Any professional athlete knows that a typical workout can cause loss of 1 to 10 pounds of water, or more, which must be replaced to prevent heat stroke, even death.

MUSCLE LOSS: Many plans concentrate on reducing total calories consumed, which is great if done wisely. The dangerous plans are those that starve body so that muscle, as well as fat, is lost. As most dieters return to pre diet food practices, lost muscle is usually replaced with fatty tissues. Muscle mass consumes calories even when body is at rest. Reducing muscle mass merely to lose weight means that body is less balanced for controlling weight.

LOSS OF INJESTED FOOD: bowel stimulants are okay if needed for constipation, or to aid regularity, but NOT for weightloss. If you aren't eating much raw fruits and vegetables, moderate doses of dietary fiber supplements are okay.

FAT OR STARCH BLOCKERS: Two criteria must be met; they must work, and be safe to metabolism. None are known to exist. I wrote elsewhere about chitosan, a "fat magnet" that does not work.

APPETITE KILLERS: They exist, but many have been removed from marketplace. Narcotics are one such drug group.

FEN-FEN or FEN-PHEN, fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, an anorexic drug, was banned by FDA in 1997, mainly due to heart valve damage.

I’ve got a bit of a problem with depression and anxiety. I’ve been tackling these problems for several years without use of modern medicine. Tai Chi, meditation, martial arts (exercise), and positive interaction with other people seem to keep a lid on my illnesses most of time. I don’t like idea of medication’s side effects, and I don’t believe answers in life are often found in easy path (E.G. taking a pill), but rather on hard path of effort and determination. This is not to say that I don’t feel medicine is not effective, not at all, I just feel all options should be looked at before making big decisions to do with one’s health.

Health of body and mind has always been one of most important issues in life for us humans. Seeing a doctor is usually best option when one comes down with an illness or ailment, but people have always tried alternative routes to recovery: E. G. ‘home doctor’ books of old. Maybe you don’t like sitting in a room waiting with a bunch of other sick people-you might catch something there! You could be housebound, or maybe you feel like hearing several opinions as you’ve found past experiences with some doctors have been tainted by poor judgments. Well, Internet is here with a multitude of options to help you get better.