# Any really effective OTC appetite suppressants? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565 "2009-01-02T06:20:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/1 "2009-01-02T06:20:37Z")
I used to use ephedra products by they banned it because some stupid people abused it and died. Any truly effective OTC products like the old ephedra products? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/2 "2009-01-02T06:34:26Z")
Exercise is free and tempers my appetite pretty well. [Recent studies](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616115855.htm) [[2](http://aerobic-conditioning.suite101.com/article.cfm/aerobic_exercise_may_suppress_appetite), [3](http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2008/12/you_docs_exercise_is_best_appe.html)] agree. ---
**Author:** ![dre2xl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@dre2xl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dre2xl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/3 "2009-01-02T06:40:38Z")
Try good old Tums to take the edge off actual hunger pangs. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/4 "2009-01-02T06:44:37Z")
Special K Vitamin Water does the trick for me. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/5 "2009-01-02T06:48:55Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Special K Vitamin Water does the trick for me. Contains artificial sweeteners which are being linked more and more every day with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and increased appetite. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/6 "2009-01-02T07:10:18Z")
Two cups of coffee - black. Twice a day. Caffeine, in roughly this amount is again the active ingredient in stuff like Hydroxy Cut. The coffee is much more cost effective when you brew your own and use a Thermos. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/7 "2009-01-02T07:35:27Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Two cups of coffee - black. Twice a day. Caffeine, in roughly this amount is again the active ingredient in stuff like Hydroxy Cut. The coffee is much more cost effective when you brew your own and use a Thermos. Does it really matter if it’s black? I can’t see how it would. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/8 "2009-01-02T07:54:40Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Contains artificial sweeteners which are being linked more and more every day with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and increased appetite. As is overeating. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/9 "2009-01-02T08:06:08Z")
Back in the 70’s, I can recall some sort of pill coming from S.E Asia which were supposed to swell in your stomach and make you feel “full”. They also tended to swell in your throat and were banned. No cite. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/10 "2009-01-02T08:09:21Z")
I’d guess that was guar gum. ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/11 "2009-01-02T13:42:13Z")
I find that coffee and big glasses of water help, as does even small amounts of exercise right when I feel hungry. What works best for me is to eat 3 meals a day and also have 2 small snacks (\<100 calories) in between meals to stave off real hunger pangs. Staying busy and distracting myself instead of sitting around counting the hours until I get to eat again makes it easier too. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/12 "2009-01-02T15:12:09Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > Does it really matter if it’s black? I can’t see how it would. > > Valete, > Vox Imperatoris Things that make it not black tend to add calories. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/13 "2009-01-02T15:21:49Z")
If you want a specific thing to consume, other than eating at least 5 servings of bulky fruits & veggies a day (broccoli and peppers are excellent for filling you up, probably because of the gas they can cause, well, in me anyway; bananas are also good because they have a little bit of fat in them, which is satisfying), the best appetite suppressant I can think of is a FiberOne bar. Seriously, those things fill me up like no one’s business and they’ve got tons of fiber, hence the name. The only downside is that you don’t really feel it until an hour or so afterward. But you’d probably have the same problem with a pill. The bonus is that they’re actual food and won’t make you buzzy. And you don’t have to worry about potential health hazards from eating them. I’ve found them to be very helpful in weight loss. Your mileage may vary, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/14 "2009-01-02T16:02:38Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > If you want a specific thing to consume, other than eating at least 5 servings of bulky fruits & veggies a day (broccoli and peppers are excellent for filling you up, probably because of the gas they can cause, well, in me anyway; bananas are also good because they have a little bit of fat in them, which is satisfying), the best appetite suppressant I can think of is a FiberOne bar. Seriously, those things fill me up like no one’s business and they’ve got tons of fiber, hence the name. The only downside is that you don’t really feel it until an hour or so afterward. But you’d probably have the same problem with a pill. The bonus is that they’re actual food and won’t make you buzzy. And you don’t have to worry about potential health hazards from eating them. I’ve found them to be very helpful in weight loss. Your mileage may vary, of course. Ooh, good idea. Yeah, try lots of fiber early in the morning. A 140-calorie bowl of oatmeal will do me right all the way until lunch, whereas I’ve eaten a lot of 500+ calorie breakfasts that won’t. Apples are great snacks, too. What are your goals, astro, and what else are you doing besides trying to restrict total calorie intake? I’m sure you already know this, but it bears repeating: you absolutely will not find health or significant, sustainable weight loss in a pill. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/15 "2009-01-02T16:19:38Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Things that make it not black tend to add calories. Exactly. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/16 "2009-01-02T16:21:00Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Contains artificial sweeteners which are being linked more and more every day with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and increased appetite. Can you provide cites for this? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’d just like to read the studies. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/17 "2009-01-02T16:36:45Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Can you provide cites for this? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’d just like to read the studies. You can Google for more if you’re interested, but [here’s one:](http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96849.php) > [@](#): > > A study by scientists in the US suggests that eating artificial sweeteners could make people put on weight because experiments on laboratory rats showed that those eating food sweetened with artificial sweeteners ate more calories than their counterparts whose food was sweetened with normal sugar. > > Although they recognized that these results may be contrary to expectations, and indeed the news may not be well received by clinicians and health professionals who support the use of low and zero calorie sweeteners as a way to lose weight, and this data is based on rats and not humans, the authors pointed out their findings are in line with increasing similar evidence. More and more studies are showing that people who consume more articially sweetened diet drinks are at higher risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome. > > Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health problems that increases risk of heart disease and diabetes, and includes high abdominal fat, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. > > The authors suggest that other artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K, probably have a similar effect as saccharin. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/18 "2009-01-02T16:40:31Z")
Eating regularly is more effective for me. I was waiting until I was too hungry, then eating whatever crossed my path because I was so hungery. Eating something every 3-4 hours breaks that overeating habit. For snacks, 6 crackers and an ounce of cheese, or a yogurt, or a small bowl of cereal with low or no fat milk, or a fruit, etc., has been working well for me. It’s easy to take to work and doesn’t require too much preparation or planning. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/19 "2009-01-02T16:40:50Z")
Interesting. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565/20 "2009-01-02T16:59:20Z")
Nicotine is an excellent appetite suppressant, but it appears to have side effects… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-really-effective-otc-appetite-suppressants/479565.md?page=2)