Female student miserable because of suspected hemorrhoids after rapid weight loss
According to the latest statistics from the National Institute of Nutrition, up to 6.6% of adults in Vietnam are overweight and obese. This rate is increasing rapidly, especially in the group of young people living in urban areas. Therefore, the need to lose weight is increasing, leading to a wave of consumption of weight loss drugs and functional foods, especially on social networking platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, ...
These products are advertised with all kinds of tricks: rapid weight loss, no need for diet, no need for exercise, even "all herbs - absolute safety". However, the popularity and ease of access pose many serious risks to users' health.
The case of Ms. Le Mai (20 years old, a student in Hanoi) is a typical example. Wanting to lose about 3 - 4kg in a short time to prepare for a summer trip with friends, Mai went online to look for "fast" weight loss drugs.
After texting a seller on TikTok, she was advised to use a herbal weight loss pillow with a commitment to lose at least 5kg after 7 days without affecting her health. "The saleswoman said that this medicine is all natural, does not harm the liver and kidneys, and after use it, it also helps beautify the skin. I bought a 15-day course, more than 1 million VND" - Ms. Mai shared.
At first, Ms. Mai felt lighter, losing 4kg in weight. However, after only a few days, Ms. Mai began to have a series of unusual symptoms such as prolonged fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, and nausea from drinking water. In particular, she had diarrhea many times a day, even showing signs of thinning her eyes.
"I was so scared but didn't dare to tell anyone. After stopping for a few days, I feel better, so I know it's because of the medicine, not because of food or stress" - Ms. Mai said. After that experience, Mai affirmed that she would never believe in advertising anymore and advised her friends to be careful.
Can cause dangerous complications for health
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Director of the Institute of Gastroenterological Surgery, 108 Central Military Hospital, most users of weight loss products today do not know exactly what ingredients they contain, how they affect the body and how much harm they are.
In fact, many weight loss labeling products on the market often contain active ingredients that can cause a series of serious side effects.
First of all, there is a state of prolonged diarrhea and dehydration - causing the body to lose weight quickly but not sustainably. Some also contain stimulants that increase body metabolism, leading to feelings of tension, rapid pulse, insomnia and frequent anxiety. If used for a long time, users can fall into a state of depression and mental disorders. More seriously, these active ingredients can also cause acute hepatitis or acute kidney failure" - Dr. Tuan warned.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, up to now, there are only two types of weight loss drugs officially licensed by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, including Orlistat and Liraglutide. Meanwhile, the market is flooded with dozens, even hundreds of weight loss products of unknown origin, untesterated, but are being widely marketed with miraculous advertisements - especially aimed at women, who are always eager to lose weight quickly but lack knowledge of pharmacology and physiology of the body - Dr. Tuan warned.
In the context of an increasingly chaotic weight loss product market, experts call on people to stay alert, not to follow trends or "winged" advertisements online. A wrong decision can not only affect health but also have long-term consequences for quality of life.
