If you are struggling with obesity or the health problems that come with it, you need not worry as we have the perfect solution for you.
Medical obesity is a very common condition, affecting approximately 1 in 4 adults in the United Kingdom.
When it comes to overcoming this condition, there is no shortage of supplements and pills in the market claiming to help you lose weight. However, not all of these products are created equal.
While some might help you lose weight, certain ingredients in others may cause unpleasant side effects.
Therefore, it is important to understand what you are consuming and whether it will effectively help boost fat burning, reduce fat absorption and decrease appetite when you incorporate it with healthy eating patterns and regular exercising.
For this purpose, after conducting extensive research and carrying out the necessary comparisons, we have come up with a list of best weight loss pills in the UK for 2022 and reviewed each in detail. So let’s get started right away!
Best Weight Loss Pills in the UK for 2022: Reviews & Recommendations
Best Overall – Mysimba Tablets 8 mg / 90 mg
Mysimba is a drug that is specially developed for individuals who are over 18 years of age and have a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg / m2 or more.
Individuals who have a BMI of less than 30 kg / m2 are usually considered for this weight loss pill if they are at a risk of various diseases including diabetes. The fact that this prescription-only drug is not sold over the counter makes it quite reliable for users.
When it comes to obesity, every individual has a different reason for putting on excess weight. For some it might be hunger or improper management of portion size, while for others the root cause may be anxiety or stress-related impulsive eating.
Therefore, it is important to understand that this weight loss pill will not be effective for all individuals and you may need to combine this drug with psychological therapy to benefit from it.
Mysimba contains two active ingredients; bupropion and naltrexone. Both components affect the reward part of your brain. While naltrexone helps curb unreasonable cravings, bupropion on the other hand helps reduce appetite.
Traditionally, the former has been used as an aid to quit smoking and as an antidepressant drug and the former has been prescribed to reduce alcohol dependence and reverse the effect of opioid painkillers. Combined, naltrexone and bupropion can help manage obesity.
- Type: Tablet
- Active Ingredients: Naltrexone hydrochloride, bupropion hydrochloride
- Number of Pills: 112 / 224 prolonged-release tablets
- Dose / Strength: 8 mg / 90 mg
- Daily dosage:
- 1st week: 1 tablet per day (morning)
- 2nd week: 1 tablet twice a day (morning and evening)
- 3rd week: 1 tablet three times a day (2 – morning, 1 – evening)
- 4th week: 2 tablets twice a day (2 – morning, 2 – evening)
- Made in: Ireland
Runner-Up – Orlos (Orlistat) Weight Loss Capsule
Orlos weight loss capsules work by attaching to your digestive system enzymes known as lipases and blocking them from breaking down fat consumed by your body.
Since the fat remains undigested, your body fails to store it and in result ends up eliminating it. This weight loss pill is known to be a highly effective aid in obesity treatment when combined with a low-calorie diet intake.
Measure your body weight at the very start of your treatment program. If you don’t notice any significant changes in your weight i.e. about 5% of decrease in your bodyweight after 12 weeks of usage, it might be best to stop consumption and consult your pharmacist or doctor.
People with a BMI equal to or over 28 kg /m² are recommended to follow a mildly hypocaloric diet while they take these supplements to treat their obesity issues.
The active ingredient used in Orlos Weight Loss Aid capsules is orlistat, which works by altering the process of fat absorption in your body. Remember, that like every weight loss pill on our list, Orlos isn’t a miracle cure for weight loss.
All it does is give a little push to your healthful lifestyle changes and take them a little further. Avoid taking this pill if you are breastfeeding or pregnant, or make sure to speak to your pharmacist or doctor for advice!
- Type: Capsule
- Active Ingredients: Orlos
- Number of Pills: 84 / 168 / 252 capsules
- Dose / Strength: 60 mg
- Daily dosage: 1 capsule three times a day with water (during, up to one hour after or before a meal – omit the dose if a meal is missed or doesn’t contain fat)
- Made in: Hampshire
Alternative – Xenical (Orlistat) Capsules
Xenical is a drug supplement that is promoted as an effective treatment for individuals suffering from obesity problems.
This drug mainly affects the intestine and stomach. It works by preventing the body from absorbing approximately 30% of the consumed fat; as a result, helping the user shed a few extra pounds. However, this over-the-counter pill shouldn’t be considered as a magic-bullet solution.
Xenical helps consumers lose weight when they use it in conjunction with a low-calorie diet and regular workout sessions. These capsules are only to be taken with food rich in fat. Therefore, if you miss a meal or eat one that doesn’t contain any fat, it’s best to skip a dose.
While fat consumption is essential for your body, especially when you are on this pill, it is also important to limit it to less than 12 grams per meal. Moreover, you should avoid consuming more than 40 grams of fat per day, as it could result in harmful side effects.
Xenical contains orlistat as an active ingredient. Orlistat works by blocking the fat that you consume and keeps your body from absorbing that fat.
Traditionally used to aid in weight loss, orlistat is also used to help reduce the risk of gaining the lost weight again. Two main things to remember while taking this pill are that it is only suitable for adults and should be combined with a reduced-calorie diet to enjoy maximum benefits.
- Type: Capsule
- Active Ingredients: Orlistat
- Number of Pills: 42/ 84 / 168 / 252 hard capsules
- Dose / Strength: 129 mg
- Daily dosage: 3 capsules per day with main meals
- Made in: Ireland
Alternative – Alli Tablets
Alli weight loss capsules are a 60 mg version of orlistat sold over the counter. These pills are meant to be used in conjunction with a healthy weight-loss plan that includes regular physical activity and a low-fat, low-calorie diet. This drug is approved for use in people over the age of 18, who have a BMI of 25 kg /m² or more.
Like the aforementioned pills Orlos and Xenical, Alli also contains orlistat as an active ingredient and promotes weight loss in consumers by reducing the amount of fat absorbed in the intestines. The digestive tract contains an enzyme known as lipase which helps break down fat into smaller components.
These components are then stored or used as energy. Orlistat inhibits the function of lipase. Therefore, when you consume Alli, the fats that you consume aren’t broken down. Instead, they are eliminated as waste through bowel movement.
While Alli is an incredible product to be used as an aid in weight loss, its results will likely be quite modest. Maybe only a few extra pounds than you would lose by following a strict diet and healthy workout routine.
According to studies, over 40% of individuals consuming Alli while increasing their physical activity and following a low-calorie diet lost over 5% of their bodyweight and that too within one year!
- Type: Capsule
- Active Ingredients: Orlistat
- Number of Pills: 84 / 168 / 252 hard capsules
- Dose / Strength: 60 mg
- Daily dosage: 3 capsules per day with main meals
- Made in: United Kingdom
Alternative – BIOBIND Natural Food Supplement
Fat binders such as the BIOBIND Natural Food Supplement do not encourage body to burn excess fat or suppress the appetite.
They perform only one important function i.e. limiting the amount of fat absorbed by the body after consuming a fat-rich meal. Therefore, this supplement is ideal for individuals who cannot resist the temptation of food loaded with fat or their lifestyle makes it difficult for them to avoid such unhealthy diet.
Fat binders can prove to be an effective damage-control device. The SlenMax blend is an active ingredient of BIOBIND that itself is a combination of three beneficial ingredients; opunita ficus incida, chitosan and psyllium husk – all with amazing fat-binding abilities.
It is important to remember that this supplement is not suitable for pregnant women and nursing mothers and they are firmly advised to consult their physician before commencing any sort of weight loss supplementation.
So incorporate this weight loss pill with advanced formulation SlenMax in your diet today and optimize your weight management program! Note that your BIOBIND consumption shouldn’t exceed 6 pills a day!
- Type: Capsule
- Ingredients: Slenmax, Psyllium Husk, Opuntia Ficus Indica – Nopal, Chitosan, Vegetarian Cellulose
- Number of Pills: 60 capsules
- Daily dosage: 2 capsules with every meal (maximum 6 capsules per day)
- Made in: Oldbury
Things to consider when buying weight loss pills in the UK
Being overweight and obese are real issues, not only due to the fact that societal standards are harsh and judgmental, but also because they can lead to imminent health concerns.
Weight loss pills then become an easy way out. However, there are some factors which definitely need to be considered and carefully evaluated before deciding on the use of weight loss pills.
What Are They Made Of?
The ingredients inside a weight loss pill need to be considered prior to buying one. There are of course, some ingredients which have a proven track record of accelerating weight loss.
Some of these are garcinia cambogia, green tea, chromium, and coffee bean extracts.
These are the ones which are safe to ingest. However, there are also some which can cause major health issues, and therefore need to be steered clear of.
What is required is that you pay particular attention to the ingredients of a weight loss pill to ascertain that it comprises of only approved and tested ones which won’t adversely affect your health.
Natural or Synthetic? Which Way to Go?
Weight loss pills can be categorized as either natural or synthetic based on their ingredients. Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages.
Natural weight loss pills are composed of ingredients which are organic and natural. Therefore, they are of course safer than their synthetic counterparts and have less side effects.
They are also cheaper, which can be quite an advantage for those looking to procure weight loss pills on a budget.
Synthetic weight loss pills are made up of synthetic ingredients.
While they are more effective than the natural ones, the side-effects of synthetic weight loss pills can also be more severe. Further, this kind of weight loss pill is more expensive.
Doctors’ Recommendations / Consultation
If you do decide to try out weight loss pills, talking to a doctor is definitely a good idea.
The doctor can help you by explaining potential side effects, or interactions with any other drugs that you might be taking at the moment.
This is especially important for people with any pre-existing health conditions.
Even those who don’t have any health conditions should go to a doctor in order to ensure that the condition of their health allows the intake of weight loss pills.
Reviews and Recommendations
In the digital age, there is one major advantage for potential customers: research becomes very easy and authentic owing to the presence of reviews and recommendations from customers who have used and experienced the products.
Prior to going forth and buying weight loss pills, carefully research the alternatives you have in mind.
Looking through reviews and recommendations can prove to be priceless in this particular task since they help to answer many vital questions, such as:
- Do the weight loss pills actually work?
- How long do they take before effects become visible?
- Is there any alternate that does a better and quicker job?
- Are there any side-effects other than the ones which have been mentioned by the manufacturer?
Weight Loss Pills FAQ
What Weight Loss Pills Actually Work?
With the market being flooded by a wide variety of weight loss pills, to choose one can be a daunting task to say the least.
There are some weight loss pill ingredients that have a proven record of success.
Orlistat is a very popular ingredient that is present in weight loss pills sold over the counter. In order to perform, Orlistat slows down the process of fat breakdown in the gut.
The result is that the person ingesting Orlistat absorbs fewer calories from fat as compared to a person who is not using Orlistat.
According to studies, the use of Orlistat can be quite effective, leading to an increase in weight loss by as much as 6 pounds.
For this particular weight loss pill ingredient to be effective, it is recommended that the accompanying diet be a low-fat one. This also helps in the minimization of any side effects.
A synthetic alternate of a substance found in raspberries, raspberry ketonesis also used for weight loss. It increases the breakdown of fat in isolated fat cells.
Further, it also increases the levels of a hormone called adiponectin in the blood which also leads to a promotion of fat loss.
Other substances which have also been found to be effective as weight loss pills include glucomannan, green coffee bean extract, meratrim, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), green tea extract, and forskolin among others.
There are some side-effects of every substance, therefore, always proceed with caution when ingesting weight loss pills. What works for one person may not work for another – keep that in mind!
What Is the Science Behind the Weight Loss Pills?
The exact mechanism, by which weight loss pills aid in shedding off the excess pounds, depends on the product and the ingredients that have been used to formulate it.
Some diet pills work by as appetite suppressants.Of course, the name itself is pretty self-explanatory: these weight loss pills reduce the appetite, and the less you consume the less weight you gain.
The regulatory effects of this form of weight loss pills are largely on the part of the brain which controls the appetite. This is the hypothalamus.
By blocking the up-take of chemicals such as norepinephrine and serotonin, this category of weight loss pills makes you feel full – as if you have just gobbled a full, satisfying meal.
The result is that you feel full as higher concentrations of these chemicals are circulating in the brain, and therefore, eat less.
Other drugs such as the Orlistat, are known as fat blockers. Lipase is an enzyme that is produced by the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas.
This enzyme helps to extract fat from our diet, thereby aiding absorption into the blood.
What fat blockers do is inhibit the enzyme lipase from performing its stipulated action of breaking down fat in the intestinal tract.
When you’re ingesting a fat blocker, some of the fat ingested passes through and is excreted, instead of being absorbed by the body.
This type of weight loss pill, should be taken either at the same time as a meal, or within an hour after the meal has been taken.
So if your meal does not include any fat, then the dose for that particular meal can be missed.
Studies have revealed that on average, consumption of this category of weight loss pills helped to in the shedding of about a kilo every month, for the initial four months of use.
What Should Be a Supplementary Diet with Weight Loss Pills?
Weight loss pills do work for quite a lot of people. However, with time the body gets accustomed to the use of these pills and then, weight loss stops as the body reaches a plateau.
This happens about six months after use. After this, in order to achieve a continuation in weight loss, a lifestyle that aids in weight loss is needed.
Fad diets do more harm than good. Only a lifestyle change can help in the achievement of goals in the longer term, for which, weight loss pills can also be quite helpful.
The following principles should be adhered to when aiming for a diet that will aid weight loss along with pills:
Reduction in Carbs
Sugars and starchy foods make up quite a great proportion of our diets considering unhealthy lifestyles that are highly prevalent nowadays.
If you want to reduce weight, then along with the ingestion of weight loss pills, it is also important to reduce the intake of carbs. Once a reduction in carb intake is achieved, hunger levels also begin to subside.
The result is that your body starts to burn up fat as a source of energy rather than carbs. This alone can result in quite significant weight loss.
Balanced Diet
A balanced diet should be adopted as lifestyle. Along with weight loss pills, eating a balanced diet can render great benefits.
Each meal should be planned in a manner so as to incorporate a source of proteins, a source of fats as well as vegetables which have low levels of carbs.
- Healthy sources of proteins include beef, chicken, lamb, pork, salmon, trout, shrimp, eggs, soy, legumes and beans.
- Low-carb vegetables include lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, Brussel sprouts and Swiss chard.
- Fats have a bed reputation, but they are definitely not a food group you should eliminate from your diet. Rather, opt for healthy fats such as coconut oil, butter, avocado oil and olive oil.
Using weight loss pills in conjunction with a good diet will aid weight loss, but if you’re looking for quicker results that stay for a longer time, exercise must also be an integral part of your lifestyle.
There are a lot of apprehensions surrounding the area of weight lifting, especially for women.
However, the unanimous opinions rendered by experts state that exercise and weight lifting have tremendous health benefits.
Those who are looking to lose weight should try to opt for working out often, and lifting weights about three times a week. This helps to provide a boost to metabolism as well as burning calories.
Cardio workouts, resistance training and weight lifting can all greatly help in the process of losing weight.
Do You Lose Fat with Weight Loss Pills?
Weight loss pills owe their properties to the range of ingredients that are included in them. Many of these ingredients aid weight loss through a loss of fat.
Some of the most popular ingredients that result in losing weight through fat loss include caffeine, green tea extract, protein powder, soluble fibre and others.
What Are Some Side Effects of Weight Loss Pills?
Like anything else, weight loss pills too, have associated side effects. These vary from pill to pill, as the side effects arise mainly due to the ingredients included.
For instance, weight loss pills with high concentrations of caffeine may lead to side effects such as an increased in anxiety, insomnia, nausea, diarrhoea, jitters etc.
Caffeine in particular is also addictive, and causes an inability to achieve quality sleep.
On the whole, though very serious side effects arise rarely from the use of weight loss pills.
And even if minor side effects are experienced they may very well subside over time as your body gets accustomed to them, especially the less serious ones such as nausea, diarrhoea or constipation.
However, if you’re concerned about the affects you are observing or experiencing, it is advisable to contact your physician.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about the clear winners in the weight loss supplement department, give one of the aforementioned best weight loss pills in the UK for 2022 a try today to achieve your weight goals and move towards a healthier lifestyle!