Diet Research

Choosing the best diet pill to match the many demands of your personal lifestyle is an important decision to make both for your wallet, and most importantly, your health.

To help educate shoppers on what diet pill they should purchase, industry professionals from across the medical spectrum came together to launch DietResearch.com, a comprehensive resource that strives to become the online authority for the best diet pills available in the industry.

Navigating the cluttered diet pills market is a difficult task. Hundreds of brands are peddled to unsuspecting consumers on a daily basis, each promising hopeful shoppers a new lease on life once they purchase their unique 'herbal' formula. Though the claims made by these diet pill products vary, they all touch upon similar key points designed to attract business: dramatic results and all natural ingredients. But there are dangers with such a rapidly growing industry. Many companies selling diet pills and other weight loss strategies - think meal plans, supplements and other schemes - often untrustworthy and unethical. Even the best diet pills can contain exotic herbal ingredients usually alien to the average shopper, and often promise vague results proven by unreliable studies that are rarely checked for consistency, let alone quality control. On top of the vague promises made by such diet pill brands are the potentially harmful side effects that such poorly tested ingredients may confer to the customer.

The risks involved when customers set out to buy diet pills to meet the rigors of their schedule are compounded when the selling practices of these manufacturers themselves are subject to question. Many weight loss pill companies sell their products at inflated prices or even attempt to make unauthorized credit card transactions under the guise of customer-friendly free trial schemes. The number of predators in the diet pill industry continues to grow.

Addressing these very concerns is why DietResearch.com was founded. The widening gulf between fact and fiction in the numerous ads, false product sites, and empty promises made by manufacturers was the catalyst for an online resource that would provide an unbiased, one-stop authority on diet pills that work.

The mandate of the expert staff at DietResearch.com is to research the latest peer-reviewed medical journals and to be abreast of new developments in pharmaceutical design. This vast library of knowledge is cross-referenced with information on ingredients and popular diet pill formulations to create a ranking scheme that carefully scrutinizes all the brands of weight loss pills.

But the reviews do not offer just a strict breakdown of each product. To fulfill the mandate set by the creators of DietResearch.com, our expert staff also rate products based on the quality of customer service, the presence of any money-back guarantee, and the overall cost of the item. This detailed breakdown was designed to offer a savvy shopper of diet pills the best assessment of the hundreds of diet pill brands available today.

The market for the 'best diet pill' has exploded partly to the demand for a reliable solution to rising obesity rates found around the world. According to a recent census conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), currently more than 1 billion adults are considered overweight, with at least 300 million of those adults considered clinically obese. Particularly worrying is the incidence of obesity in children. According to information gathered by the office of the US Surgeon General, the number of overweight children in the USA has tripled since 1980. Obesity has been medically documented to lead to a variety of harmful medical complications including type-2 diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, and an increased susceptibility to heart disease.

These recent trends towards obesity have thus fueled a culture where demand for weight loss solutions and new diets are at a fever pitch.

But demand alone has not ignited the diet pill industry - successful brands of diet pills have been documented to help people lose weight. The pervasiveness of personal anecdotes of pills that do the best job from satisfied customers have spread a growing interest in the market. Although the formulations of each pill are markedly different, they all deploy a unique combination of herbal ingredients designed to either suppress appetites by promoting a sense of personal satiety, thereby limiting how much a person eats, or by stimulating the body's natural metabolism to catalyze and process food at a rate higher than is normally attributed. Other brands of pills include formulas that boost energy levels allowing users to be active longer, allowing them to perform enough physical activity to warrant the necessary burning of calories associated with successful weight loss.

But the effectiveness of these pills vary greatly between manufacturers, and many often concoct formulas that offer only mild boosts to alertness to simulate a false sense of increased energy. This is where our team of expert staffers come in.

DietResearch.com begins their exhaustive review of the weight loss market with a series of articles discussing a variety of diet pills available today.

At DietResearch.com we strive to provide customers with the most accurate and honest reviews of all the weight loss strategies currently available on the market. But outside diet pills is another, equally profitable industry of weight loss programs that claim to help people slim down, provided they follow the steps outlined in each brand's unique plan.

Do these diet programs actually shed pounds or are they bloated with unnecessary expenses and questionable science? Could savvy customers receive similar results with all natural weight loss pills? Read on to get a brief survey on some of today's most popular weight loss programs.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers is arguably the industry standard in the weight loss program market. The most popular brand when it comes to trimming fat, Weight Watchers employs a strong advertising campaign and word-of-mouth testimonies to spread its name.

The program works by combining a self-regulated, low-calorie diet with periodic support meetings. Followers of Weight Watchers carefully monitor the foods they eat by assigning points to their meals. Based on caloric-intake, a single unhealthy meal could eat up all the points allotted for one day; the idea behind this point system being that carefully portioning points by eating low-calorie meals will help people lose weight.

While clever in assigning a easy-to-understand points-based system, the program ignores one glaring flaw: essentially, this weight loss strategy could be done on one's own without paying the $39.99 monthly fee. For that price, it would be better to stick to an all natural supplement instead.

To learn more about the program, click here for an in-depth review.

Nutrisystem

The Nutrisystem program is based on the truism that central to any healthy weight loss goal is an equally healthy diet. The problem is that most individuals looking to lose pounds don't have the time or energy to cook healthy meals or seek out ideal ingredients high in nutrition. Nutrisystem claims to solve this - very real - concern by mailing out pre-packaged meals that take the stress out of cooking healthy foods low in fat.

But if the thought of meal par avion makes your stomach turn, you're gut instincts are right. Nutrisystem customers have documented regular complaints over the bland, overly salted taste and inherently poor quality of the mailed-out meals.

While the program is based on a viable weight loss strategy, its execution and $366.61 price (plus shipping!) leaves a lot to be desired.

To read more about the program, click here for an in-depth review.

Jenny Craig

Perhaps second only to the advertising juggernaut of Weight Watchers comes the famous Jenny Craig program.

The program is a curious mash-up of both Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem's respective selling points.

Pre-packaged, low-calorie foods arrive to the doorstep of hopeful dieters every week - along with a slew of gimmicks like licensed Jenny Craig books, pamphlets, and tapes designed to simulate external reinforcement of the program's weight loss principles.

Once again, though steeped in a good idea, Jenny Craig's well-intentioned weight loss program does what people normally could do for free, and then charges a premium for what amounts to common-sense: eat well and stay active.

Curious? To learn more about the program, click here for an in-depth review.

The South Beach Diet

A popular diet bandied about by daytime television talk show hosts is the South Beach Diet.

The science behind the South Beach Diet is the based on the Glycemic Index that essentially grades carbs on their ability to impact blood glucose levels.

But the diet itself employs an unproven weight loss theory that separates carbs, a theorized factor in weight gain, between "good carbs" and "bad carbs." The program implies by only eating "good" carbs and avoiding the "bad" ones, customers can slim down with every bite.

But customers have reported that the foods offered do little to impact body weight. Meanwhile, they also have to deal with the flood of South Beach branded weight-loss products that are constantly peddled to them, products that could easily ring-up over a $100 a month.

To lean more about the program, click here for an in-depth review.

Medifast Diet

As previously noted, a popular trend in weight loss programs is the pre-packaged, mail-in meal. These glorified TV dinners vary both in quality and nutritional value, instead opting to replace harmful levels of fat with harmful levels of salt.

The makers of the Medifast Diet claim that customers will lose at least 20 pounds a month. Again, the science behind the diet is based on the Glycemic Index to distinguish between "good" and "bad" carbs.

And once again, research has proven that the Index has no true correlation to blood glucose levels, so gauging the kinds of carbs you digest has no real bearing on the amount of weight you can lose.

Compounding the questionable basics of this diet is the $300 a month price tag that accompanies the mail-in foods and beverages. When it comes to this TV dinner, it's best to change the channel.

To find out more about Medifast, click here for an in-depth review.

P90X Program

In sharp contrast to the mail-in schemes and carb-bashing comes the P90x weight loss program. The designers of the program firmly believe that there is no easy formula to losing weight, and instead chooses to mail customers a strict regimen of workout plans and calculated nutritional guides.

Of all the programs available, the expert staff at DietResearch.com agree that the foundation of the P90X program is the most effective as it replaces empty claims and overly-salted food by mail for exercise and an onus on the customer to purchase better foods (as ascribed by the included guides).

However, the program runs a steep price. And more troubling are the reports from previous P90X customers that the makers were attempting unsolicited credit card charges on top of the hefty price tag.

To learn more about P90x, click here for an in-depth review.

While each program strives to help people shed pounds through some grounding in science, the execution of each product emphasizes that losing weight is a complex decision that can only be answered by the specific needs of the individual. As always, it's safer to be active, eat smartly, and try an affordable all natural supplement to beat back the cravings.

Of the wide range of weight loss pills and programs currently available, those products shown to be the most successful are the class of potent, FDA-approved drugs that trade the bold claims of over-the-counter herbal brands with the proven results of hard science.

However, despite the documented successes of these weight loss drugs, many of these brands are known to have potentially strong side effects that should be considered when choosing the right diet solution for you. Of equal importance is the reality that although these side effects can range in severity from the mild nuisance to the conceivably harmful, they do not occur in all individuals and vary considerably from person to person.

Read on for a brief survey of the types of popular, prescription-strength weight loss drugs currently available on the market.

Alli

The popular diet pill Alli is one of the only FDA-approved, over-the-counter weight loss drugs available in stores. Though a prescription is not required, the side effects would make you wish one was, if only to serve as a warning.

An expensive weight loss product, the over-the-counter drug Alli is designed to help customers lose weight by halting the body's natural breakdown of fat through an active enzyme blocker known as Orlistat. While quite effective, there's one large problem - how the body deals with the remaining, undigested fat.

Due to the effectiveness of Orlistat, fat content not metabolized by Alli continues down the digestive tract, exiting the body through sudden and all-too-frequent bowel movements.

While strong side effects are to be expected with such a drug, the painful bloating and other unpleasant aftereffects reported by some customers make the high price tag feel like a lot of hot air.

To learn all about Alli, click here for an in-depth review.

Phentermine

Though extremely effective (as most prescription-only drugs are), this doctor-approved medication is severely hindered by a number of documented shortcomings.

The only active ingredient is Phentermine Hydrochloride. Of the drawbacks in the FDA-recognized weight loss drug, the most glaring to Phentermine's recorded success rate are its approval only for short-term usage and the requirement that prescription only be allowed for extremely obese patients. These two points call into question the practicality of seeking out Phentermine for those simply looking for a slight-to-moderate loss in weight.

For the average consumer hoping to tap into the best science has to offer, Phentermine is too limited in scope to be of any practical use.

To read more about Phentermine, click here for an in-depth review.

Adipex

Adipex is merely a rebranded version of the FDA-approved, prescription drug, Phentermine. It is also marketed as the weight loss drugs Ionamin and the prescription-only formula for Fastin (not to be confused with the reformulated version of Fastin).

Similar to the previously discussed Phentermine, Adipex can only be procured through a prescription and is restricted to the morbidly obese, and only then for a short window (up to a maximum of 12 weeks).

Although the Better Business Bureau has awarded Adipex makers Gate Pharmaceuticals an A for virtually no customer complaints, the harsh side effects associated with constant Phentermine usage and the impracticality of the drug for casual dieters makes it a difficult drug for DietResearch.com to recommend.

To learn more about Adipex, click here for an in-depth review.

Meridia

Meridia is another FDA-approved prescription-only drug; albeit one that courts a significant amount of documented controversy due to its active ingredient, sibutramine.

Reports from consumer watchdog groups between the years of 1997 and 2003 indict the appetite-suppressing Meridia as an unsafe weight loss alternative for the general public. Links have been made between the drug and a series of harmful side effects such as non-fatal heart attacks and arrhythmia.

Despite the FDA's initial approval, a number of countries have out rightly banned the drug due to the reported deaths. And in 2008, the FDA rescinded their blanket approval with a consumer alert warning of herbal products containing an "undisclosed" amount of the Sibutramine.

Average customers would do well to steer far away from Meridia.

To learn more about Meridia, click here for an in-depth review.

Xenical

Perhaps the most concise way to describe Xenical is as a drug of last resort.

Similar to medications like Phentermine and Meridia, Xenical is only prescribed to the extremely obese.

The active ingredient in Xenical is Orlistat, a compound that is used in other prescription-only drugs (as well as being marketed as a diet pill product of its very own).

Staff reviews reveal that Xenical is extremely effective in weight loss. It achieves this by curbing the body's natural ability to breakdown and absorb fat - much like the popular diet pill, Alli.

Unfortunately, also like the drug Alli, reports have shown that Xenical's formula results in the undigested fat requiring a hasty exit through the user's intestines - even when the user is nowhere near a bathroom.

Though the term "no pain, no gain" is synonymous with weight loss, customers can agree that the severe gas pain and uncomfortable bloating reported by Xenical users is a steep price to pay for bikini season.

To get all the facts on Xenical, click here for an in-depth review.

Fastin

Once a long-discontinued prescription-only pill, Fastin has been given a new lease on life thanks to its purchase and rebranding by new owners, World Class Nutrition.

This distinction is important as the previous prescription-strength Fastin used the active ingredient Phentermine (known for harmful side effects and short term prescription only for the morbidly obese), whereas the rebranded version deploys a naturally occurring stimulant called phenylethylamine.

Present in your average chocolate bar, the natural and safe stimulant has been well-documented to kick start a user's metabolism, helping the body melt fat faster.

Though customers have reported success with Fastin, DietResearch.com advises potential buyers to watch out: if the product isn't returned immediately at the end of Fastin's free trial, a $139.90 fee is charged to the customer's credit card... Every 60 days.

Customers who don't want Fastin to pull a fast one should be aware of World Class Nutrition's practices in making their decision.

To read more about Fastin, click here for an in-depth review.

Orlistat

An active ingredient found in the prescription-only Xenical and the over-the-counter Alli, Orlistat is a scientifically proven weight loss alternative that rids a person of pounds - and potentially, their dignity.

Orlistat helps customers to lose weight by preventing key enzymes in the stomach lining from breaking down and absorbing fat. And as previously mentioned all that undigested fat has to leave the body via painful, repeat bowel movements that have been documented to come on suddenly.

If oily discharge, flatulence and unexpected bouts of diarrhea seem like a valid price for a sexy figure, then Orlistat might be the weight loss drug for you. But for budding dieters who aren't interested at the idea of conceivably spending their down time in the bathroom, the enzyme blocker it isn't worth it.

To learn about Orlistat, click here for an in-depth review.

Though technically effective, prescription-only drugs can carry a heavy price with their scientifically proven results. And while promising as a sign of what's to come for the future of diet pills, these FDA-approved drugs may result in adverse side effects in certain users or may only be available if you are of a certain size.

Once again, these potential obstacles highlight how choosing the best diet pill is less a matter of finding the most potent drug on the market, but more about choosing the right pill to meet the many specific demands of your lifestyle.

As the diet pill industry widens to meet increasing public demand, so do the number of weight loss products that take more novel approaches to helping customers burn weight. Many of these weight loss pills make claims to be "specially-formulated for women," or pile additional health benefits over their lofty fat melting ingredients.

But as always, there are inherent dangers to these unique weight shedding pills, capsules, and drink mixes. And from a financial standpoint, many of these hybrid dieting solutions - the kind that claim to alleviate PMS symptoms while trimming pounds - aren't practical and highlight how, in some cases, desperate many nutraceutical companies are in trying to make a profit.

Read on for a brief survey of the various other diet supplements currently available on the market.

Hydroxycut

Hydroxycut is one of the most infamous diet products ever to grace store shelves.

The brand's exhaustive line of products used to be considered the darling of the diet pill industry, representing every niche diet market with a specialized pill that claimed to help users trim their figures just in time for bikini season. But it all came crashing down when the active ingredient in the Hydroxycut brand, ephedra, was subject to an FDA recall due to the compound's suspected relation with harmful side effects like dizziness, seizures, and in some rare cases, death.

Hydroxycut failed to make the cut a second time when their revamped, all natural formula introduced a newer slate of harmful side effects.

But side effects aside, does the new formula even work? Our experts at DietResearch.com have documented that the all natural version of Hydroxycut offers no real weight loss benefits.

In fact, studies showed that it was the original Hydroxycut formula, with ephedra, that offered the most promising results. However, since most of the Hydroxycut line that contained the compound has been removed from the market, that reveal has no practical value to the casual dieter.

While the price of a single bottle of capsules runs a fairly inexpensive $36.99, the empty claims and laundry list of potentially harmful side effects makes Hydroxycut an ill-advised choice for safe weight loss.

To read more about Hydroxycut, click here for an in-depth review.

EverCleanse

EverCleanse is sold not just as a weight loss solution but a complete "cleansing and detoxification wellness program" that claims to go beyond what competing diet pills offer. And go beyond it does - straight to the bathroom.

The EverCleanse product is essentially a revved up laxative, which aims to use increased bowel movements as a vehicle to lose weight.

Expectedly, this style of colon-cleansing has been shown to offer no actual benefit to the user: simply defecating more does little to shed pounds.

Our experts also noted that the 'Slim' formulation of EverCleanse (available in two other formulas) contains a steroidal compound documented to artificially increase liver weight, thereby increasing the risk of liver cancer. To add to staff concerns is the fact that the makers of EverCleanse do not disclose the ingredients of their other two "detoxification" formulas.

Hindsight Nutritionals, the new owners of the EverCleanse brand have yet to be rated by the Better Business Bureau but customer complaints have revealed a slew of unwarranted credit card charges made by the company. At $69.99 a month for just the Slim formula, the EverCleanse program is a tough purchase to justify.

Simply put, if you chose to try EverCleanse, be prepared to flush your wallet down the drain.

To read more about EverCleanse, click here for an in-depth review.

Lipozene

Lipozene is a weight loss supplement that touts itself as an all natural alternative to the wide range of products available today. Though the DietResearch.com experts agree that the ingredients are safe for consumption, the actual fat trimming benefits are minor.

The sole active ingredient found in Lipozene is a fiber supplement called Glucomannan that creates a false sense of satiety designed to curb hunger pangs. Though the supplement is widely used in other diet products and has been linked to studies that show a decrease in weight in trial participants, the physical amount of the active ingredient in Lipozene's formula ensures that users will get roughly the same benefits from a single bran muffin.

To Lipozene's benefit, the supplement includes a varied dosage of vitamins like B12 and B6 that do help to speed up the body's metabolism. But again, the benefits gained from the pill's formula are anecdotal at best.

At a suggested cost of $90 for a month's supply, the experts believe that Lipozene's perceived value to the budding dieter is nothing but lip service.

To learn more about Lipozene, click here for an in-depth review.

Slimquick

The Slimquick diet supplement is billed as another 'breakthrough' in weight loss designed to meet the specific health requirements of the female body. But while the formula does provide some amount of nutritional value, the actual fat shedding claims of the diet are highly exaggerated.

The biggest knock against Slimquick is that only a fraction of its "six exclusive complexes" (each with a scientific-sounding name) is designed to aid in burning fat. In reality, the Slimquick diet is immersed in filler compounds like rhodiola rosea extract, black pepper, and dandelion leaf. While the ingredients are known to manage moods and elevate stamina, they aren't connected to weight loss.

However, the biggest benefit of the Slimquick diet is in how the formula helps to relieve the stress of PMS. Menstrual cramp-relieving compounds like vitex agnus-castus and clary sage are in ready supply, offering moderate relief from menopausal symptoms.

Our expert staff agrees that Slimquick is hardly the best diet pill option available today. For women interested in a dual-purpose solution to weight management and PMS, it's best to look elsewhere.

To learn more about Slimquick, click here for an in-depth review.

NV

NV diet pills claim to be the all-in-one answer for all of modern life's many pitfalls - as the first and only diet pill, energy booster, and beauty 'supplement' currently available on the market.

For all its bold promises, NV doesn't deliver the complete package. Our experts at DietResearch.com discovered that the diet pill is a marginal energy booster, an unimpressive fat burner, and perhaps worst of all, a debatable beauty product.

NV is a unique hybrid of weight loss supplement and beauty product that includes green tea, (the untested) appetite suppressant hoodia, ginseng, and theobromine to boost energy levels, and collagen and silica to improve the appearance of skin, hair, and nails.

But despite the diverse ingredients, our staff experts agree that NV fails at providing any real improvement in beauty, energy, or weight. If you are trying to slim down to a figure that will be the envy of all your friends, you could do a lot better than NV.

To read more about NV, click here for an in-depth review.

Slim Shot

Slim Shot is a weight loss alternative that ships as a powdered drink mix and should not be confused with the similarly titled Slim Shots liquid appetite controller. This drink mix ships with three specific formulas for all the major periods of the day: morning, noon, and evening.

The time-specific formulas are the heart of Slim Shot's weight burning strategy as each mix is tailor-made to support the body's natural cycle. The morning formula is designed to boost the body's immune system and lessen the stomach's hunger response through the use of all natural ingredients like wild pansy and olive wood. The noon formula halts the absorption of fat and continues to suppress hunger thanks to the addition of natural fruit pectin. And finally, the night formula aids in the digestion of food through a safe combination of cacao, papaya, and chromium.

The experts at DietResearch.com agree that the Slim Shot mix does in fact promote weight loss, but stress that the $53.33 per month charge ($159.99 for a 12-week supply) is quite expensive considering the results gained from following the strict three-drink-a-day plan. Adding to the high cost are the questionable business practices of the makers of Slim Shot, Central Coast Nutraceuticals. The pharmaceutical manufacturer has been given an 'F' by the Better Business Bureau over complaints that Central Coast did not honor their own 60 day full-refund policy.

While the Slim Shot drink mix was successful in helping customers reach their weight loss goals, the high price and suspicious business practices prevent DietResearch.com from giving their complete endorsement.

To learn more about Slim Shot, click here for an in-depth review.

Apidexin

Based on favorable scientific results and considerable customer satisfaction, the weight loss supplement Apidexin is a good choice for savvy consumers. On paper.

The secret to Apidexin is that its patent-pending ingredients are nothing but all natural herbs commonly found in other weight loss products. These safe, herbal ingredients have shown promising results in the first week itself with no ill side effects reported.

However, the company behind Apidexin shrouds itself in a degree of mystery that the review staff at DietResearch.com finds quite suspicious. No evidence of human trials has been disclosed to the public and the ingredient dosages are never listed on the bottles.

Adding to the suspicion is the damning 'F' rating by the Better Business Bureau.

Though Apidexin is known for favorable results, the lack of disclosure on some basic medical tenets such as ingredient labeling should be a clear warning for potential customers.

To get the skinny on Apidexin, click here for an in-depth review.

Ultra 90

Ultra 90 is dairy-based weight loss supplement that attempts to mimic the nutritional content of meat and dairy foods without including any of the fat. But as the concept suggests, Ultra 90 proves that you really can't have the milk without buying the cow.

Of the two active ingredients found in Ultra 90, only Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been documented to dramatically reduce body fat. However, it is this acid in its natural form that displays this property. Synthetic forms of CLA have been linked to stunted immune systems and insulin production.

Of special importance is the fact that Ultra 90 is not vegetarian-friendly. Though it attempts to act like a dairy product with all its inherent nutrition, the supplement itself is topped with filler ingredients like gelatin and fish collagen.

Though CLA has shown to be an effective fat burner, the cumulative effects only occur after several dosages of the pill. With a true cost of almost $80 a month, our experts suggest you seek out alternatives before getting milked by Ultra 90.

To read more about Ultra 90, click here for an in-depth review.

Acai Berry Diet

Acai berry is the hottest all natural ingredient to be exploited by the diet pill industry. The South American berry is advertised by a variety of manufacturers in a variety of forms, each product hailed as the next revolution in dieting. The Acai Berry Diet is one of the chief offenders of this kind of marketing as it has dominated the airwaves with claims of unparalleled weight loss.

While medical researchers are quick to tout the nutritional value of the fruit, one fact the diet fails to advertise is that Acai is a poor fat burner.

Clinical trials have documented that while Acai absorption imparts a broad range of health benefits to the user, little to no weight loss occurred - if pounds were shed, it wasn't because of the berry.

Worrying still is how many marketers of the Acai Berry diet, and the many variations thereof, have been shown to engage in credit card scams over 'free' trials of their products that are not truly free.

DietResearch.com staffers agree: skip the Acai fad and save your bank account.

To learn more about the Acai Berry Diet, click here for an in-depth review.