Do diet pills help people lose weight?

FTC Fines Diet Pills Makers For False Claims
Xenadrine EFX capsules are photographed on January 4, 2007 in Glendale, California.
Getty Images/David McNew

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will recommend Wednesday whether the agency should approve the first new prescription diet pill in 13 years. We thought it would be a great time to talk about the role of drugs in weight loss and obesity prevention.

Kerri Miller will be talking with David Katz, the founding director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center.

"Most of the diet pills that are touted in infomercials are, at best, ineffective and, at worst, dangerous to your health," Katz said.

Simone French, professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota, will also join the discussion.

"My big problem with weight loss drugs that affect hunger is: People don't eat in response to hunger," French said. "They eat because it's there, there are cues, social and cultural and otherwise. People don't stop when they're full. So fundamentally, hunger cessation drugs can't be the solution."

What is your take on diet pills and other dietary drugs? Do the side effects outweigh the advantages?

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.