Is it safe to make use of the much advertised anti-fat remedies for reducing the weight?
Obesity
Pills, Anti-Fat Remedies
Q. Is it safe to make use of the much advertised
anti-fat remedies for reducing the weight?
A. Certainly not.
Many of these so-called obesity remedies are dangerous.
Such nostrums do harm by causing delay in the application of efficient
remedies. And besides, not a few of these obesity remedies contain active and highly dangerous drugs. One of
the products most frequently employed is the dried thyroid of the sheep. This
remedy may be of some value in rare cases in which there is a deficiency of the
secretion of the thyroid gland, but even in
these cases it must be used with the greatest care as an over-dose is likely to
produce serious disturbances of the heart and various nervous disturbances of
more or less serious character. In by far the great majority of cases of
obesity there is no deficiency of the thyroid secretion and administration of
thyroid is followed within a few days by quickening of the pulse and the
appearance of various unpleasant and more or less serious nervous disturbances
and sooner or later grave conditions may be developed.
Thousands of persons have
been damaged by the use of these
meretricious nostrums. The only safe thing
is to avoid them altogether. One who suffers
from obesity should place himself under the
care of an intelligent physician and carefully
follow his instructions.
Diet and exercise are sovereign remedies for
this condition.