Chaotic weight loss market

Taking advantage of the psychology of overweight and obese people being reluctant to exercise and adjust their diet, a series of quick weight loss advertisements were born: "lose 10kg in a week", "lose weight without dieting or exercising", "lose weight while sleeping"...

A series of fast weight loss advertisements have emerged that pose a potential risk to health - Photo: Screenshot

Promises of "miraculous" weight loss may sound ideal, but they are followed by countless health risks. Many people who want to lose weight quickly use drugs of unknown origin, only to "lose money and get sick".

Advertisements hit the 'quick weight loss' psychology

On social networking sites, websites advertising weight loss methods appear frequently with attractive commitments such as "fast weight loss", "lose 10kg in 7 days without dieting or exercising"...

In rapid weight loss groups, it is not difficult to come across posts advertising weight loss pills, herbal teas, coffees, fat burning creams... with "miraculous" effects.

Many products even impersonate doctors, nutritionists, or use images of celebrities to increase credibility or forge certificates from the Ministry of Health to deceive consumers.

The trick these people often use is to use "before - after" images to create a "virtual" effect. Many sales sites use photos of people who have successfully lost weight to prove the effectiveness.

Or post an emotional story about someone who failed to lose weight but "succeeded with this product."

The articles mainly target the psychology of overweight and obese people wanting to lose weight quickly, along with promotional tricks such as "recruiting weight loss models"; "The first 5 customers receive a 50% discount"...

TikTok account B. advertises a "pineapple candy for weight loss" that has the effect of "miraculously" losing weight in a short time.

According to the advertisement, just chewing a bag of candy with all colors and flavors without dieting or exercising can help you lose 16kg.

To convince buyers, this advertisement shows before and after pictures of a woman who lost 62kg after giving birth to a baby to 46kg by chewing pineapple candy. The price of a bag of candy is advertised at 200,000-300,000 VND/bag.

"Just tried eating 7 pills and lost 3kg of fat. Just using this product not only helps you lose weight but also doesn't cause fatigue, doesn't require dieting and doesn't cause diarrhea," this account advertised.

Liver and kidney failure hospitalized due to weight loss

Many patients have been hospitalized for liver and kidney failure due to taking weight loss pills. Bach Mai Hospital previously admitted a patient in Quang Ninh who had to have his esophagus and stomach removed due to taking weight loss pills.

This patient was introduced to a very effective weight loss drug by a friend. However, when using the 4th package, the patient felt short of breath, cold, thirsty; sudden hypothermia and was admitted to the emergency room in a coma, the CT scan results showed brain damage.

According to the forensic examination results of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the weight loss product the patient used contained Sibutramine, a toxic substance banned by the Ministry of Health from use in pharmaceuticals and functional foods, because of its dangerous effects on the health of users.

Sibutramine was once widely used to treat obesity but has been banned in the US, Europe and Vietnam because the risks of harm far outweigh the benefits. Large studies have shown that the drug increases the risk of stroke and serious cardiovascular complications.

In Vietnam, since 2010, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) has stopped licensing the import of Sibutramine raw materials, suspended the circulation and recalled all products containing this substance.

In another case, seeing that she had symptoms of prolonged insomnia, Ms. LN went to the Weight Loss Center of Tam Anh Hospital for examination.

According to Ms. N., through participating in weight loss groups online, seeing many people praising pineapple candy for rapid weight loss with a commitment to lose 2-3kg in 7 days without causing fatigue or dehydration, she decided to buy a package to try for more than 200,000 VND.

"The seller told me to just eat and drink normally, this candy will help me reduce my appetite, lose weight slowly and not make me tired. I ate a whole pack but my weight did not decrease, it increased by 3kg. Not only that, I also had insomnia," said Ms. N.

Ms. N's friend also used this pineapple candy and always felt thirsty, even though she drank a lot of water, her thirst was still not quenched. Along with that was the feeling of fatigue, lethargy, and loss of strength due to not wanting to eat.

Can you lose weight without dieting or exercising?

Dr. Le Ba Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Weight Loss Center at Tam Anh Hospital, said obesity is a disease that requires long-term management and treatment, similar to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases.

Therefore, the information "lozenges, pills, and weight loss coffee help lose weight quickly" being widely advertised on social networks is false.

Products and functional foods that are not inspected by health authorities can pose many health risks.

In fact, the Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health, has reported that it has discovered many products advertised to support weight loss containing dangerous banned substances, typically Sibutramine and Phenolphthalein.

Sibutramine reduces appetite, creates a feeling of fullness for a long time, thereby supporting weight loss. Phenolphthalein stimulates the intestinal mucosa, increases intestinal motility, thereby promoting the excretion of feces, causing dehydration and weight loss.

However, these two drugs are not licensed by the Ministry of Health due to many unwanted side effects such as Sibutramine increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (stroke, myocardial infarction, high blood pressure, arrhythmia), Phenolphthalein can cause cancer.

Currently, the Ministry of Health has approved two drugs for weight loss treatment for obese people, including Orlistat and Liraglutide 3.0 mg. However, these are prescription drugs.

The drug is only effective if used properly after considering the indications and contraindications. Patients should not use the drug on their own without consulting a doctor.

According to Dr. Le Ba Ngoc, it is impossible to lose weight without following a healthy, scientific lifestyle.

Relying on weight loss drugs and foods will not bring about results. More importantly, the causes of obesity are often complex and involve many different specialties.

"Many factors leading to uncontrolled eating and lack of exercise need to be detected, such as anxiety and depression, impacts from the living and working environment, and some diseases that reduce physical activity...

Therefore, to diagnose and treat obesity according to medical standards, multidisciplinary coordination is required (endocrinology, nutrition, exercise medicine, psychology - psychiatry, etc.). The coordination of a multidisciplinary team in a weight loss treatment center can help patients lose weight effectively and sustainably," Dr. Ngoc affirmed.

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Anh Tuan - Head of the Department of Digestive Surgery at 108 Central Military Hospital, the principle of weight loss is to reduce energy intake and increase exercise to eliminate excess fat in the body.

In addition, it is necessary to follow a suitable diet and have a scientific weight loss plan. At the same time, to ensure safe weight loss, not affecting health and long-term weight stability, you should only lose less than 1kg/week.

"There is no way to lose weight without adjusting your diet and exercising," Associate Professor Tuan affirmed.

Regarding the use of weight loss drugs, Associate Professor Tuan stated that based on the mechanism of action, weight loss drugs are divided into 4 groups: drugs that affect the process of fat absorption in the digestive tract, GLP-1 receptor agonists, combination drugs (multiple active ingredients), and sympathomimetic drugs.

"Although effective in weight loss, these drugs also have side effects such as digestive disorders, malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins, kidney damage, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney failure, increased heart rate and high blood pressure...

These weight loss medications must be prescribed by a doctor along with lifestyle changes.

In particular, currently, with the abundance of weight loss support functional foods on the internet, of unknown origin, they can easily contain banned substances, affecting health.

Therefore, overweight and obese people should consult a specialist in using weight loss drugs and functional foods to avoid affecting their health," Associate Professor Tuan recommended.

Ministry of Health warns of a series of weight loss products containing banned substances

In recent years, the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) has continuously issued warnings about lozenges, pills, and weight loss functional foods containing banned substances.

Accordingly, currently, most of the products advertised for weight loss are in the form of functional foods and support foods.

These products are self-declared products. The authorities discovered that the product quality did not meet standards through post-inspection or patients experienced problems after using the product.

In 2024, the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital received a case of a patient using the Apple Detox weight loss product purchased on social networks.

According to the analysis results of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the above product contains Sibutramine, a substance prohibited for use in health protection foods. The Ministry of Health has not yet issued a product declaration registration certificate for this product.

Previously, the Food Safety Department also issued a warning about the health protection food product Feo pineapple and herbal pills Moc slim containing banned substances Sibutramine and Phenolphthalein. These are two products advertised to support weight loss.

Do not use medication without a doctor's prescription.

In 2022, the Ministry of Health issued a professional document "Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of obesity", according to which the general treatment principle is that lifestyle intervention is the foundation to ensure sustainable and safe weight loss, including nutritional interventions, physical exercise, behavioral changes, psychological support, drug treatment, and coordination of many specialties.

In addition, in the field of traditional medicine, the Ministry of Health has allowed the implementation of a list of techniques to support weight loss in addition to physical activities, moderation, and proper nutrition during the treatment process. Some cases apply surgical methods to lose weight.

For weight loss drugs, according to the Ministry of Health, in case the weight loss goal is not achieved through lifestyle intervention in patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, drug treatment should be considered.

Two drugs approved for the treatment of obesity include: Orlistat and Liraglutide 3.0 mg. Weight loss drugs are only used when prescribed by a medical professional.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bat-nhao-thi-truong-giam-can-20250305143408818.htm