The "Size Zero Pill"
One of the latest "shortcuts" to weight loss is clenbuterol, popularly named the "size zero pill." This drug raises the body temperature to encourage fat burning.
The problem is that it's FDA-approved for horses, not people. The drug was developed to help open horses' breathing passages (though it also seems to thicken horses' arteries walls and heart tissue). Bodybuilders, many of whom ignore safety, found that it allowed them to maintain muscle while dieting to get lean.
Here is a list of risks associated with taking clenbuterol, in a story from cbs2chicago.com:
It elevates blood pressure, and heart rate, raising the risk of arrhythmias and stroke. It can cause tremors, headaches, insomnia and anxiety. Long-term, use of clenbuterol can cause a build-up of collagen in the heart that causes the muscle wall to stiffen, setting the stage for cardiac problems.
Cardiac problems are already common in those with eating disorders. Clenbuterol thus compounds the risk of heart problems and creates yet another way to abuse the body to pursue weight loss.
It seems surprising that a dangerous "weight loss" drug now popular in Hollywood was first discovered by bodybuilders, who generally want to gain mass. But those with anorexia and those with muscle dysmorphic disorder (common in bodybuilders) think in very similar (and sometimes life-threatening) ways.
- Size zero pill may not even be safe for horses (and why people with eating disorders probably won't care)
- Thought patterns in muscle dysmorphic disorder (MDD)
- MDD's cousin, body dysmorphic disorder (body part obsession)
Comments
Apparently, Hollywood is the place that popularized using clenbuterol as a dangerous weight-loss aid in humans. One wonders if usage would stop even if those who used it started to paw at the ground and whinny…
Hi, everyone. I would have commented sooner, but I wanted to have a full-length piece ready for you on this topic:
http://eatingdisorders.about.com/od/riskfactors/a/sizezeropill.htm
Clenbuterol’s side effects aren’t easily seen, affecting the heart’s walls and the walls of major blood vessels. And that’s for those who are healthy to start; people who have eating disorders may already be set up for cardiac problems, which clenbuterol could then intensify.
Please recognize that others’ lack of side effects in no way means that you won’t experience them. I wouldn’t want any of my readers to suffer a heart attack or stroke. Losing five or ten pounds (or ten thousand pounds) just isn’t worth it.
Hello again, everyone. Just here to reinforce that clenbuterol is a dangerous drug. In addition, the vast majority of people who lose weight gain it all back. Is it worth risking your cardiovascular health for “quick” weight loss?
I’m sorry to report that I was obligated to delete most of the comments in this thread, as the discussion had taken what I consider to be an extremely harmful turn. This site is about recovery from eating disorders, and this discussion may have been encouraging disordered eating behaviors and obsessiveness.
I do welcome comments on this or any other blog entry, but comments that support disordered eating or that support behaviors likely to be damaging to this site’s audience will be deleted.
hi there i was reading bout the sizezero pills,, and i no dat they are very risky to take,,,but at the end of the day,,if people think its gonna help them loose there weight an reach there goal weight,,,i dont see why people cant by it an give it a go,,,most people out there have tried everything,,, including me,,,an just cas its called sizezero,,, is not mean that people will turn to a size zero,,,,i mean if this pill helps an its something that it will make people’s lifes a better one,,, then i dont see any harm in overweight people giving it a go,,,an for them to see quicker results,,,an not be missrable all there lifes,,,,an also its been used in europe an by models as well,,,an they didnt die from it,,,,an this pill was around for more than a couple of yrs,,,,so at the end of the we overweight people should take the risk an give it a go,,,,cas at the end of the day dat will make those pepole really happpy to no such tiny pill helped them change there life,,,,
There’s one assumption that you’ve made, though, which I don’t think is valid. And that is that life will be much better when you lose weight. We have made weight loss the “holy grail” of life, believing that thinness is the answer to pretty much all of our problems. I believe we can do far better by focusing on beginning to live now, without focusing on weight loss as something that has to happen beforehand.
In other words, you can be “overweight” and not be miserable. In fact, you can enjoy life to the fullest.
Finally, just because no one has died due to clenbuterol doesn’t mean that it isn’t dangerous. Try life instead! It’s there for the living…