Hydroxycut : The not so miracle weight loss drug

   Now before I get started on this week's blog, I want everyone to know that this particular blog is not about me. I know when a story starts out with " I know someone who" or " I know a friend that", 9/10 times the story is really about the one who is telling the story. I assure you, this one is not.

   I recently was over a friend's house and we were playing XBox in his room. Out in the open, I saw a "HydroxyCut" pill bottle. My friend is by no means extremely overweight or fat. He does however, have self esteem issues. He was skinny pretty much his whole life and he fell victim to the "freshmen 15" and then some. This totally caught me off gaurd because I did not see him as the type of person to take diet pills. After talking to him, it was apparent that he knew nothing about the dangers of Hydroxycut and other weight loss supplements. I told him that there was even a recall of the product in certain pharmacies and Vitamin shops (going to USP, it is impossible not to know about every drug recall that happens). Now I am not the type of person to take pills, for any reason what so ever. I rarely take asprin for headaches, and my mom has to force antibiotics down my throat. There is no way I would take Hydroxycut to start with, but after doing some research I most certainly wouldn't take the chance.

   I had mentioned earlier that there was a huge recall of Hydroxycut from drugstore shelves. It turns out, "following 23 reports of serious Hydroxycut-related injuries, on May 1, 2009, Ioavte in along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a nationwide recall of 14 Hydroxcut products". To me that seems like an extremely large number. After reading the major and minor side effects, it is a complete mystery to me how this (and products like it) can be on the shelves. Below are just some of the dangerous side effects that I found in my research:

Among the serious dangers of Hydroxycut diet pills and other recalled Hydroxycut products are:

• cardiovascular disorders
• liver damage
• rhabdomyolysis (a rare condition in which muscle deterioration can lead to kidney failure)
• seizures

Such Hydroxycut dangers may be indicated by the following symptoms:

• abdominal pain
• brown urine
• extreme weakness and fatigue
• itchiness
• jaundice
• light-colored feces
• loss of appetite
• loss of consciousness
• nausea and/or vomiting
• palpitations
• tremors

   This week's blog is for anyone and everyone who has ever is taking or thought of taking Hydroxycut. Guy's, it is just not worth the risk. If you are really serious about weight-loss, do it the old fashioned way. Get on a diet and exercise plan and stick to it. Hydroxycut is just a lazy shortcut, that in the end WILL do more harm then good. Look in the everyday and feel good about yourself. If there is something you don't like, then go out and change it! Just do it the right way. What you put in is what you will get back. I hope this blog helps!

- Ryan