A friend of mine recently asked me what I knew about weight loss patches and if I would recommend them as a weight loss aid.  Not knowing much about the topic, I decided to do some research.  Here are my findings.

There are several brands of weight loss patches available.  Their purpose is to help people lose weight faster by suppressing appetite and increasing metabolic rate.  The different brands use various combinations of substances such as guarana (a stimulant), chromium (to regulate insulin levels) and fucus vesiculosus (to stimulate the thyroid gland thus speeding up the metabolism).

One problem with weight loss patches is that there isn’t any way to regulate how much of these substances is being absorbed through the skin and at what rate.  Heavier people will absorb less per pound of body weight so, in theory, the benefits would be less.  Because of this same uncertainty, birth control patches aren’t recommended for women who weigh over 150 pounds.

Some possible side effects of weight loss patches are dizziness, nausea, headache, and irritation at the site where it is applied.  If you use them, you should not put the patch in the same location every time.

On the upside, a prescription is not required to buy weight loss patches.  There are several options available at a variety of prices.

On the downside, weight loss patches have not been approved by the FDA so no official studies have been done to determine their safety or effectiveness.  There is no evidence to show whether or not they help at all with weight loss.

If you decide that you would like to give the weight loss patch a try, take the list of ingredients to your doctor to make sure none of them will have any negative effect on any conditions you have or medicines you are taking.

Please go to weight loss patches to read more about the various kinds of patches available.

Have you tried a weight loss patch?  What was your experience?

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