THE PHARMACEUTICAL Services have expressed their fears over a startling increase in Cypriot women turning to diet pills to help them lose weight for the summer.
According to the head of the Services, Nicos Nouris, various pills, cellulite gels and creams that promise miraculous weight loss within days are flying off pharmacy shelves.
Nouris also warned that apart from the fact that these pills seldom live up to their claims, there are also some serious health risks that women need to beware of.
For example, some of these pills contain caffeine, which some say helps burn fat and reduce cellulite. But if someone with high blood pressure takes them, they are putting their health at serious risk.
“There are many such examples and as Pharmaceutical Services we repeatedly warn the public that none of these drugs is completely safe,” said Nouris.
Furthermore, if someone is on medication, taking these pills could provoke unwanted side effects and allergies.
“By using some of these products, other problems may arise,” said Nouris. “Not everyone is aware of the fact that some of these pills’ ingredients can react with other medications and create serious health problems.”
As Nouris pointed out, the vast majority of people who purchase these drugs are women, “who are obviously hoping for some kind of miracle before they go to the beach”.
He called on consumers to be extra careful when buying diet pills and seeking the pharmacists’ advice – especially if they are on medication.
Misleading adverts are a vast contributor to the problem, with the Consumers’ Association as well as Nouris calling on the state to implement the relevant laws for misleading ads more effectively.
Asked to comment on whether restrictions could be put on the way these pills are handed over the counter, Health Minister Christos Patsalides said it was up to the experts and Pharmaceutical Services to explain if and how this can be done, so it can be regulated legally.
“I would need the advice of the experts, to explain why these pharmaceuticals are dangerous and whether we could put legal restrictions on them,” said Patsalides.
