Rampant weight loss products of unknown origin
Just surfing the internet for a few minutes, users can encounter dozens of "quick weight loss" groups with catchy names such as "Fat people's association determined to lose weight", "Fat people want to lose weight", "Association of people who need to lose weight quickly"... Each group attracts from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of members, operating sôi nổi every day.
In these groups, besides sharing about diet, exercises or "weight loss" tips, the wave of weight loss product advertisements flooded in densely. From Western medicine, functional foods to "traditional traditional medicine", many items are advertised for sale publicly or cleverly integrated into "experience review" articles. Sellers often exploit the psychology of wanting to lose weight quickly without having to abstain excessively, with attractive introductions: Familiar leaves, easy to drink, not harsh, drink evenly, flat stomach...
Some products are even exaggerated as a life-saving package for the body: both to eliminate fat, cleanse the intestines, support digestion, reduce bloating, and even advertised as a "detox" treatment to help skin become beautiful and increase immunity. Everything is told in a sweet, believable way - but lacks the most important information: Origin, inspection, clear ingredients and safety warnings.
Reality shows that in many large groups, sales posts appear continuously every day. Products come in all forms from pills, candies, tea, coffee to creams. Buyers only need to leave a question, the seller immediately comments or invites them to text for personal advice, draw up a treatment regimen and commit to effectiveness. The leniency in buying and selling turns weight loss into a health gamble - where promises always speak louder than all warnings.
When weight drops rapidly, health can "decline" faster
In fact, weight loss products of unknown origin may not have shown their effects before users have had complications. At the end of 2025, Cam Pha Regional General Hospital (Quang Ninh) received a 16-year-old girl with acute liver failure after taking weight loss pills bought online. According to the information mentioned, the patient believed in "miraculous" weight loss advertisements, so she bought and used them, after a while she found that her eating and sleeping were poor. Test results showed that liver enzymes were very high, and liver function was seriously affected.
Previously, Bach Mai Hospital had received a 21-year-old female patient (Hanoi) poisoned by Sibutramin after taking weight loss pills bought online. The product was of unknown origin, labeled entirely in foreign languages. The family said that the patient drank continuously for more than a month, one pill per day, combined with fasting and losing 4-5kg. After that, the patient suddenly fainted and was taken to the emergency room. MRI results showed lesions in the hypothalamus on both sides; the drug sample sent for testing determined to contain Sibutramin.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen - Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, Sibutramin was once used in the treatment of obesity but has been banned in the US, Europe and Vietnam due to increasing the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. In Vietnam, this active ingredient has been suspended from circulation since 2011 and is on the list of prohibited foods in health protection. Many floating weight loss products may contain dangerous stimulants such as Sibutramin, Phenolphthalein, high-dose caffeine..., which can lead to heart rhythm disorders, high blood pressure, insomnia, restlessness; more seriously, it can cause coma, convulsions, brain damage. Especially, when users combine the drug with extreme fasting or take it without medical instructions, the risk increases.
Dr. Chu Quoc Thinh - Acting Director of the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) - said that in the past time, functional agencies have continuously issued warnings about weight loss support products containing banned substances; and at the same time requested consumers not to buy or use them to avoid unfortunate consequences. In the warnings, the Food Safety Department has mentioned cases of detecting banned substances in some products advertised for weight loss, such as "Hong Hac Phuc Linh weight loss capsules", some weight loss products that are famous on social networks, or products that are reflected to contain Sibutramine such as "Go lean Detox"... Don't be gullible about advertisements that "sanify" the effects, especially for products of unknown origin or lack of declaration/verification documents.
To lose weight, people should consult doctors or medical experts, especially when they have underlying diseases, are taking medication or have just given birth. A sustainable solution is still to adjust nutrition reasonably and increase exercise suitable for physical condition. Losing weight does not need to be too hasty. The important thing is to build healthy eating and living habits to both improve physique and protect long-term health," Dr. Nguyen recommended.
