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.