Just try to punch the words; “weight loss supplements” into google, and hit the search button. There’s a big chance you’ll be stuffed with links to long lists of weight loss pills, drinks, and powders; all with lofty promises of quick results.
There’s a good reason for this:
Millions of people turn to these products each year as a convenient means of losing weight. The US in particular offers an interesting example:
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at least 15% of adults in the USA(over 50 million) use some sort of a weight loss product annually. In economic terms, this translates to an annual expenditure of 2.3 billion-dollars on weight loss supplements, which explains the long list of weight loss products trying to get their own slice of the huge market.
This article sets out to see if these products are really worth it from a scientific evidence point of view. We’ll start with a quick look at why millions of people flock to weight loss products, before zoning in on what the general evidence has to say on their usage for weight management. This will be followed by a quick verdict and recommendation on how you can go about using these products, if they’re indeed worth it.
Major Reasons for the “weight loss Supplements” Hype
The crazy numbers mentioned earlier boil down to 2 main reasons:
- Weight loss supplements come with the promise of a convenient and easy option. This comes with sharp contrast to the mainstream approach, which requires adherence to long-term diet modifications and physical exercise strategies.
- Lack of strict regulation: Weight loss supplements are not categorized as drugs by most regulatory authorities. Therefore, they’re not regulated with an iron fist as it’s the case with conventional medicines/drugs. The inevitable outcome is a huge market with a host of untested products, readily available for public consumption.
Now let’s move on to the key question:
What's the General Scientific Evidence on Weight loss Supplements Like?
A lot of rigorous research has been done on the subject, as shown by a huge number of studies and research reviews done over the past decade. One of the most recent studies was a 2021 research review led by the renowned researcher on Obesity, John Batsis. The review analyzed 1743 studies on efficacy of various dietary supplements and alternative therapies for weight loss. In the end, only 16 studies reported tangible changes, ranging from 0.3-4.93kg in terms of weight loss. This raises questions against the use of supplements for weight loss.
These findings are similar to an earlier review, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, done by a team of researchers from the University of Plymouth and Exeter. The review retrieved and analyzed data from 25 trials and five systematic reviews and analyses. In the end, the researchers lamented the lack of convincing evidence in favor of the use of weight loss supplements, and thus questioned their usage as over-the-counter remedies.
From what we’ve just considered, one thing is crystal clear:
Current scientific evidence frowns on the use of weight loss supplements, at least from a general perspective. However, this needs to be treated with a lot of caution. Focused research on efficacy some supplements on weight loss tells a different story. Weight loss products containing extracts from herbs like Green Tea and other special preparations like Chitosan, have been shown to be effective and relatively safe for consumption.
Bottom Line
Generally, you don’t really need weight loss supplements if you’re already on a sound program combining diet modifications and a well-designed exercise plan. However, some supplements show a lot of promise as effective and safe complementary measures to exercise and diet modifications. Successful usage of supplements boils down to identifying the best fit for your needs rather than blindly picking up the most popular product on the market. There is no such thing as the best weight loss supplement for everyone. It’s always prudent to consult an experienced nutritionist/dietician for proper guidance and execution. Fortunately, we have some great expertise on board here at Fitlife.
Looking to get started and take those first baby steps? Talk to our nutritionist in the expert’s section.
