There is a massive market to be exploited world wide, especially with the current obesity epidemic in both the UK and the US. Pharmaceutical companies have seen this gap and are taking full advantage of it. FDA advisers agreed unanimously that Qnexa could help patients lose pounds, but the benefits were outweighed by a slew of safety concerns that cropped up in medical trials, including memory lapses, suicidal thoughts, heart palpitations and birth defects.

There’s a messy food fight about to break out... and I mean it in every sense of the word. The main participants? ‘Big business’, doctors and health agencies, the new coalition government, a celebrity chef, and a truck load of disgruntled consumers.

The thyroid is extremely sensitive and can be affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies, smoking, environmental toxins and prescription drugs. It’s therefore hardly surprising that thyroid problems affect as many as one in six people over the age of 55.

With summer approaching, many of us are trying to lose those extra winter-pounds. One of the best ways to do this is to cut sugar from your diet. However, with numerous health risks associated with artificial sweeteners, it’s difficult to find a sugar substitute that won't harm your health and still adds a bit of taste to your food.

So, what are the healthy, safe and natural alternatives that will leave a sweet taste in your mouth without adding inches to your waistline?

The message should first and foremost be that a balanced diet combined with a healthy and active lifestyle is the most effective way to lose weight and promote good health...

With estimates predicting that 60 per cent of the population will be clinically obese by 2050 and with obesity costing the NHS £7.2 Billion a year, one would expect the government to come up with more substantial solutions that are based on facts and practical solid advice.

On 21 January 2010, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced the suspension of the obesity drug sibutramine which also goes by the names Reductil and Meridia, in the UK and the rest of Europe.

The suspension of Reductil follows a review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) which conducted a trial with 10,000 participants and found the risks of taking Reductil far outweigh the benefits. In fact, that’s a massive understatement, as it’s been found to increase the risk of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes... not a trade-off I for one would like to make!

One of the worst offenders making us fat and unhealthy though is a hidden ingredient added to numerous food and drink products...

In fact, it is the number one source of calories in fizzy drinks: high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Artificial sweeteners like aspartame are supposed to enhance the taste of foods but, unlike sugar, are virtually devoid of calories.

The unspoken promise here is that by consuming artificial sweeteners you have better control over keeping an eye on your weight. While this makes sense, you might be surprised to know that there is no good evidence to support this ‘promise’.

Yep, not one single properly conducted study exists in scientific literature that proves artificial sweeteners actually aid weight loss. So, either the studies haven’t been done, or they have been done but haven’t been published...

If you come across let’s say a ‘new wonder supplement’ that promises to make you lose weight, burn fat super fast without any exercise, maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation and is an anti- diabetic, you won’t be blamed for thinking: Yeah right, somewhere, someone is having a laugh...

That’s exactly what I thought when I heard of Irvingia Gabonensis, the latest weight loss supplement to hit the marketplace. Knowing how many people struggle to keep their weight down or combat obesity, I simply had to investigate and find out exactly what the truth is behind Irvingia Gabonensis.

Earlier this week I wrote about the side-effects (or rather ‘treatment effects’) of the over-the-counter ‘diet drug’ Alli. Since then, weight loss and diet have been on my mind and this morning, when I saw a morbidly obese woman struggling on her way to work it struck me: Perhaps for some people the urgency to lose weight is a pressing matter, but a very difficult obstacle to overcome.

Let’s face it, if you are morbidly obese, going on an exercise programme can be a daunting (if not impossible) prospect – it’s even a struggle for me. It’s then no wonder that some people look for help in measures such as harmful diet pills and invasive procedures like gastric bypasses.