Australia's weight-loss industry is worth $800 million a year thanks to the advent of diet pills that promise fast and effortless results. While customers have learned to be sceptical of grand promises, the myriad ingredients in diet pills make it difficult to separate what works from what doesn't. We look at some of the most common ingredients and what effect, if any, they actually have on your metabolism.
Read Choice's full review of diet pills and their active ingredients here.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is the body that’s been charged with regulating diet pills.
In Australia, all complementary and alternative medicines – such as weightloss pills – need to be entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
On this register there are two types of products: 'registered goods' and 'listed goods' – and it’s important to know the difference.
Registered goods are medicines that are considered high risk – such as prescription medicines. They are evaluated by the TGA for quality, safety and efficacy before being released onto the market.
Listed medicines (identified by an AUST L number) are considered lower risk and must only contain ingredients that have their safety and quality approved for use in listed products, but are not evaluated for efficacy.
Manufacturers can apply for a listing by just filling in an online form and paying a fee. Around 20 percent of products are randomly audited to make sure they meet standards.
