减肥属于以减少人体过度的脂肪、体重为目的的行为方式。主要指标为BMI，方法有多种，其中饮食是核心方式，运动是辅助，药物是强制方式进行的。德国的一项研究发现大多数减肥药的作用只是安慰剂，人们想只通过减肥药来减少体重是不可能的。

By CRI Intern Gao Ge

The vast majority of over-the-counter weight loss aids do not work, according to a recent study by nutritional experts in Germany. Research published by the Institute for Nutrition and Psychology at the University of G?ttingen found that none of the nine best selling weight-loss supplements sold in pharmacies in Germany had any effect beyond acting as a placebo.

Over-the-counter weight loss supplements are big business.

Billions of dollars are spent each year by people hoping to find the miracle supplement that will help them lose weight.

A summary of studies led by Dr Thomas Ellrot - head of the Institute for Nutrition and Psychology at the University of G?ttingen Medical School was presented to the International Obesity Conference in Stockholm on Monday (July 12, 2010).

It found that the nine best selling over-the-counter weight-loss supplements acted only as a placebo.

"I think the message for the consumer is very important because lots of people go in to pharmacies and spend a lot of money for weight-loss supplements and this money is thrown out of the window. Because, it is just placebo effect, and the placebo effect could be, you could get this for much less money."

The eight-week study divided 189 overweight people in to two groups. One group was given the daily recommended dosage of weight-loss supplements. The other group was given a placebo. The real products were repackaged to make them look neutral. The people given the real products were also asked to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer, including dosage and additional dietary recommendations.

The average weight loss for the group given the placebo was 1.2kg over the 8 week period.

The people in the group given weight loss supplements had an average weight loss of between 1kg and 2kg but, according to Ellrot, none of the supplements outperformed the placebo.

The study used a range of over-the-counter supplements that varied widely in price.

"That cost range was incredible. Between a couple of Euros for two months of treatment compared to the most expensive supplement that cost close to 300 Euro (377 US dollars) per two months of supplement use. And that is 300 Euros for, like, nothing."

At the Berlin Apotheke pharmacy in central Berlin a variety of weight loss supplements are displayed and sold.

Some are essentially soy protein products designed to help people stay on diets while still getting enough protein.

Others claim they include ingredients that claim to block the absorption of fat by the body.

According to the in-house nutritionist, Alexandra Schellbach the soy protein products do not make people lose weight, but they do help users feel better when they are on a diet.

"Many people believe in that wonder pill that gives people a perfect body without exercise, without the diet and without changing their eating habits. Everyone is hoping that something like that exists. And the commercials are promising that this time it is the pill that will work. And the hope and the suffering of being overweight makes people buy these pills. And then it doesn't work again,"

The only upside to the study according to Ellrot was that none of the tested supplements had any negative side-effects.

But he does point out that some unregulated weight-loss supplements found on the internet could be dangerous.

"I would warn people (not) to go anywhere else (than pharmacies) to shop for supplements. If they go onto the Internet and buy supplements somewhere in the world you could not be sure that this is a completely harmless thing. So, there are lots of mixtures of dangerous chemicals or compounds in dietary pills sold via the Internet."

Ellrot stresses that only weight-loss supplements were tested in the research.

There are a number of regulated weight-loss medications on the market which have had a proven effect. Many can only be obtained by prescription, but some are available over the counter.

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