2008 Woodie Awards
Shedding a few extra pounds could be fatal
Laura Hickey
Issue date: 9/30/04 Section: Health
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A 19-year-old college student begins to take an over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine that he bought as an energy and weight loss pill from the gas station where he works. After taking four pills over a 24-hour period, he dies while pumping gas. According to the autopsy, ephedrine toxicity caused a massive fatal heart attack.
Like this college student, most people at some point want to gain some energy and shed those few extra pounds, whether for a formal, to look better in a bathing suit, or just for a self-confidence boost. While there's no danger in wanting to lose a little weight, the problem lies in how you do it.
Often, people are lazy and look for the easiest way to achieve their goals. So people often turn to diet pills like Metabolife 356, Extreme Ripped Force, Xendarine RFA-1 and Ripped Fuel. The active ingredient in most of these pills is ephedra, also known as ephedrine; which acts in a similar way as adrenaline. It dilates the bronchial muscles, contracts the nasal mucosa, raises the blood pressure and stimulates the heart. Parts of the evergreen tree from which ephedrine is derived have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat symptoms of colds and asthma. But today, it is sold in dozens of name-brand weight loss pills to provide energy, increase metabolism and burn fat. Ephedra products have gained popularity with athletes and people wanting to get a better workout at the gym. The NCAA banned the use of ephedrine supplements in 1997, and the International Olympic Committee has not allowed ephedrine for over 10 years. Sophomore Will Whittington, a basketball player for Marist, said the drug's initial benefits ultimately backfire.
"The risks and consequences of using ephedra is not worth it," he said.
Many consumers are not educated about the effects or potency of products containing ephedrine. These products are advertised as being able to improve athletic performance and enhance weight loss. Companies market their products as vitamins or nutritional supplements that are completely "natural." What the advertisements neglect to say are that hundreds of people who have taken these products and experienced the herb's adverse effects like intra-cranial
Like this college student, most people at some point want to gain some energy and shed those few extra pounds, whether for a formal, to look better in a bathing suit, or just for a self-confidence boost. While there's no danger in wanting to lose a little weight, the problem lies in how you do it.
Often, people are lazy and look for the easiest way to achieve their goals. So people often turn to diet pills like Metabolife 356, Extreme Ripped Force, Xendarine RFA-1 and Ripped Fuel. The active ingredient in most of these pills is ephedra, also known as ephedrine; which acts in a similar way as adrenaline. It dilates the bronchial muscles, contracts the nasal mucosa, raises the blood pressure and stimulates the heart. Parts of the evergreen tree from which ephedrine is derived have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat symptoms of colds and asthma. But today, it is sold in dozens of name-brand weight loss pills to provide energy, increase metabolism and burn fat. Ephedra products have gained popularity with athletes and people wanting to get a better workout at the gym. The NCAA banned the use of ephedrine supplements in 1997, and the International Olympic Committee has not allowed ephedrine for over 10 years. Sophomore Will Whittington, a basketball player for Marist, said the drug's initial benefits ultimately backfire.
"The risks and consequences of using ephedra is not worth it," he said.
Many consumers are not educated about the effects or potency of products containing ephedrine. These products are advertised as being able to improve athletic performance and enhance weight loss. Companies market their products as vitamins or nutritional supplements that are completely "natural." What the advertisements neglect to say are that hundreds of people who have taken these products and experienced the herb's adverse effects like intra-cranial