With obesity becoming a global problem the market for weight loss products has rocketed. Diet pills, weight loss patches and more have all found their way onto the market as people look for the quick solution to permanent weight loss. In this article I will discuss weight loss patches in greater detail and analyse whether they really are worth your hard earned cash.
Weight loss patches are small patches which you place on a smooth part of your skin such as the arm or leg. The patches contain herbal medicines such as; guarana, chromium and hoodia which are released directly into your blood stream. Weight loss patches claim that they can; increase your metabolic rate, burn fat, suppress your appetite and more. But how much truth is there behind these claims?
Well before I answer this question it is useful to state that there are actually two types of weight loss patch available;
NON-PRESCRIPTION PATCHES:- These are the patches that are heavily marketed and are often accompanied by the above claims.
PRESCRIPTION PATCHES:- Many people are unaware of these types of patches (I certainly did not know about them till writing this article). They are only available if your doctor prescribes them to you and this will only happen after a thorough evaluation to verify if your weight problems require medical attention.
Although the non-prescription patches are the ones that claim to lead to significant weight loss, many of their claims cannot be verified. This article entitled Diet Patch Review: Do Diet Patches Really Work? analyses in detail the herbs that you will find in the majority of diet patches. The article suggests that at best some of the herbs will have moderate fat burning effects but overall diet patches will not lead to significant weight loss on their own. It concludes that diet patches are a waste of money and contain nothing to justify experimentation.
So are there any effective diet patches out there? Well this article by Pink Fridge suggests that prescription weight loss patches are effective. However, to be prescribed this type of patch you will need to be classified as clinically overweight or obese by a medical practitioner with a Body Mass Index (which you can calculate using the following BMI Calculator) of over 30. For the majority of people being prescribed this type of patch is not a feasible option.
In conclusion I would advise you to save your money and instead spend it on healthy food, a personal trainer, a gym membership or fitness equipment. Many people are looking for a quick fix when it comes to weight loss but it does not exist without serious unwanted side effects. Even if you qualify for a prescription weight loss patch your doctor will advise you to improve your diet and get more active whilst using the patch. As I have discussed in previous articles reducing your caloric intake, eating healthy foods and increasing your activity levels are the only proven methods for losing weight in the long term.