CAN A PILL A DAY KEEP THE FAT AWAY?

Mike Potillo knows how good it feels to lose weight and feel healthy.

Potillo, 22, lost 12 pounds in two months using diet pills without exercise. He liked the results so much, he bought into an herbal dietary supplement company in Lexington, Ky.

"In the past two years, I've seen people's lives drastically change because of natural products," said Potillo, who is from Cape Girardeau. "I don't need a written statement to know when I've seen somebody's life change."

Diet pills, also known as dietary supplements, are considered miracle drugs by many who take them. "Lose weight without exercising or changing your diet," advertisements challenge while touting that their products burn, trap, attract or eliminate fat.

But health officials and medical care providers say dietary supplements can create health complications and could have dangerous side effects.

Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances.

The American Pharmaceutical Association estimates more than 29,000 dietary supplements are on the market.

Marrianne Lentz, director of professional relations for the Missouri Pharmacy Association, said people who want to take diet pills should consult with their physicians first, even if the pills are sold over the counter.

She said side effects are unpredictable and vary with a person's medical history and health state. They can raise a people's blood pressure and increase their heart rate to dangerous levels.

"They really cause problems with patients who have high blood pressure," she said. "They also can trigger an asthma attack. A lot of these are weeds they put in pill form. If you're allergic to a certain type of weed that's in the pills, it can set off an asthma attack."

Over-the-counter diet pills can be found in most discount and pharmaceutical stores and range from Dexatrim to Metabolite.

Others, including Redux, Xenical and Meridia, require a doctor's prescription.

Probably the most mysterious dietary supplements come in the form of herbals, according to Cape Girardeau pharmacist Sandra Bollinger, who works at Health Priorities, 35 Doctors Park.

Herbal supplements are considered food, not drugs, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and, therefore, are not subjected to the same testing, regulation and labeling rigors.

In fact, Bollinger said, herbal supplements are not even required to include all the ingredients on their labels, and potencies sometimes vary from batch to batch.

"I think that there's a misconception that the general public has about herbal supplements because they view them as the same as a prescription product," Bollinger said. "They've become a lot more popular. From a pharmacist's standpoint, what's frightening is that they don't have to list on the labels any kind of drug interactions."

Bollinger recommends that prior to taking any dietary supplements -- herbal or otherwise -- people meet with their health care provider to assess the risks.

"My first advice to people is: What have you already tried?' Diet and exercise should be attempted first," she said.

"There is no miracle drug out there that's going to drop pounds off of you and you put forth no effort," she added. "If there was such a product, there wouldn't be all these other imitator things out there."

Even Potillo, who sells dietary supplements for a living, said people should know their limits. His company provides literature, advice and a follow-up system for its customers.

"I think people need to know what their bodies can handle," he said. "If they try it and get an adverse side effect, quit taking it."