A 2-year-old girl died after accidentally eating weight-loss chocolate. Why was this chocolate so "poisonous"?

Recently, a 2-year-old girl accidentally ate several diet pills (a kind of chocolate) and died after failed rescue efforts at the hospital. #2-year-old girl accidentally ate diet pills containing sibutramine and died# became a hot search.

▲Photo: Sina Weibo

The girl's mother bought the slimming chocolate from Cao on the Internet in order to lose weight. As soon as the incident happened, the police launched an investigation and quickly identified Cao's superiors Xia and Liu, and seized a large number of slimming capsules and chocolates. The banned drug sibutramine was detected in all the seized items.

Remember that in 2020, a popular DC weight-loss drug also became a hot topic because it was revealed to contain sibutramine.

In early 2021, a weight loss coffee was also found to contain sibutramine.

The emergence of these news has made many people who are trying to lose weight feel uneasy. In the end, they may not only fail to lose weight, but may even ruin themselves. You really have to be careful when choosing weight loss products. For children, such products are even more harmful!

What is sibutramine? What are the dangers? Sibutramine is a drug that suppresses appetite. After taking it, you can feel full even if you eat less, without feeling hungry.

Studies have shown that sibutramine hydrochloride has a significant effect on weight loss. [1]

However, on October 8, 2010, the FDA issued an announcement: Because sibutramine (meridia) can cause cardiovascular disease risks, the FDA requires drug manufacturers to voluntarily withdraw it from the U.S. market[2].

In addition, there are data research results that suggest that sibutramine can promote damage and contraction of human aortic smooth muscle cells, leading to hypertension.

Because of this, a once popular weight loss drug called Qumei Capsules was also removed from the shelves and banned from sale.

So, are there any legal weight loss pills? Yes, there are!

2. There is only one legal weight loss drug

Orlistat

Orlistat can be used for weight loss, but this does not mean it is suitable for everyone who needs to lose weight.

The "Chinese Expert Consensus on Medical Nutritional Treatment of Overweight/Obesity" released in 2016 recommends that weight loss drugs can be used if one of the following conditions is met.

① BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2

② BMI ≥ 24kg/m2, and there are risk factors such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, etc.

The first "Clinical Guidelines for Obesity Drug Therapy" released by the American Endocrine Society (TES) provides recommendations for prescription weight loss drugs. The conditions for taking FDA-approved weight loss drugs are: BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 and at least one weight-related comorbidity (such as diabetes, hypertension), or BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2.

In addition, orlistat is not as perfect as imagined, and maybe you won’t lose weight comfortably after taking it.

The main principle of orlistat is to hinder the absorption of fat in the intestines, so the fat cannot be retained in the intestines, but will run out through the intestines and anus by itself, thus "rushing out of the door".

For example, if you fart accidentally, what comes out is gas for others, but what comes out for you may be oil. Washing underwear has become a commonplace, and the number of times you wash underwear is proportional to the number of times you fart, so it is generally recommended to wear adult diapers.

In addition, the frequency of bowel movements will increase, and they will be more aggressive. If there are many people in the toilet, you may poop in your pants...

There are also references to the fact that in early clinical trials, orlistat has the risk of causing colon cancer and breast cancer, which cannot be ignored. [3]

Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor before taking the medicine, and if you experience right upper abdominal pain or other discomfort symptoms during taking the medicine, you need to stop taking the medicine immediately.

Summarize:

You should not take diet pills randomly. If you want to lose weight healthily, you should first choose a reasonable diet and exercise appropriately, and don't think about taking shortcuts.

Do not buy weight loss drugs from unknown sources!

Discussion: Have you ever taken diet pills? What were your feelings?

References:

[1]. Li Rong, Li Qifu, Luo Rong, et al. Observation on the clinical efficacy of sibutramine hydrochloride in the treatment of obesity[C]// The Sixth National Endocrinology Academic Conference of the Chinese Medical Association. 2001

[2]. Wu Xiaoyan. The weight loss drug sibutramine was withdrawn from the US market[J]. Journal of Adverse Drug Reactions, 2010, 12(005):374-2.

[3] Ma Wei, Fu Li, Wang Haibo, et al. Research progress of new weight loss drug orlistat[J]. West China Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2009(04):431-433.