Diet Pills May Hurt You

"Because most weightloss drugs are contaminated by the thyroid hormone, they affect the thyroid gland," said Dr Thep Himatongkam, who chairs the Nutrition Association of Thailand.

He said each diet pill contained 500 milligrams of thyroid hormone. Users will become constantly fatigued, and thin as a rake. These drugs affect the thyroid gland, he said.

"This is medical malpractice by weightloss clinics. However, not one agency has taken action over this," he added.

A Public Health Ministry report said half of a survey of 825 people over 35 were overweight, and risked high blood pressure.

Most people ate lots of fried food, food made from coconut milk, salty food and sugar.

He said people needed to control their diet, change eating behaviour and exercise more, rather than resorting to diet pills. Some of these drugs contain dangerous amphetamines.

"Just eating less, more often and more slowly, and cutting out sugary drinks and fries can help you control your weight," he said.

Dietician Vinai Dahlan said people should use vegetable oils such as moringa seed, pumpkin seed, tea seed, sesame seed and Indian walnut instead of cooking oil. Seeds contained lots of phytonutrients, which aid health.