Your Diet Pills Are Trying to Kill You

The FDA issued a warning about sibutramine found in some common diet pills. Turns out this harmless(?) sounding controlled substance isn’t made of magical fat eating elves, but instead of gross chemicals that can murder your heart.

“Sibutramine is a controlled substance that was removed from the market in October 2010 for safety reasons,” FDA says in a notice to consumers. “The product poses a threat to consumers because sibutramine is known to substantially increase blood pressure and/or pulse rate in some patients and may present a significant risk for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, or stroke. This product may also interact, in life-threatening ways, with other medications a consumer may be taking.”

But I thought nothing tastes as good as thin feels? Not even delicious heart failure.

Least funny part of this whole terrible joke?

Sibutramine affects several brain chemicals, including serotinin and norepinephrine. Scientists don’t quite understand how it causes weight loss – but in some people in can actually increase appetite.

That’s right — you can actually gain weight while giving yourself heart problems while trying to get skinny. And if you died? Chalk that up to ye ol’ obesity monster!

Products tagged by the FDA include Fat Zero, Fruit & Plant Slimming, which contains phenolphthalein in addition to sibutramine, and Extreme Body Slim.

[NBC]