title: Toxicity of weight loss agents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the rise of the obesity epidemic in the United States over the last several decades and the medical complications seen with it, weight loss and dieting have become a national public health concern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of their increased use and availability through internet sales, several different dieting agents were reviewed for potential toxicity. These included: syrup of ipecac, cathartics, human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, 2,4 Dinitrophenol, guar gum, phenylpropanolamine, ma huang/ ephedra, caffeine, clenbuterol, fenfluramine, sibutramine, thyroid hormone, orlistat and cannabinoid antagonists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the internet making even banned products readily accessible, healthcare providers need to be aware of the potential toxicities of a wide range of weight loss agents. Our review covered topics we thought to be most historically significant as well as pertinent to the practice of medical toxicology today.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical Toxicology Fellowship, Boston, MA 02115, USA. May.Yen@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Michele Burns
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ewald
mesh_terms: D019297:2,4-Dinitrophenol / Q000633:toxicity; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000633:toxicity; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000633:toxicity; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007486:Ipecac / Q000633:toxicity; D054368:Laxatives / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D002186:Cannabinoids; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D054368:Laxatives; D005277:Fenfluramine; D002110:Caffeine; D007486:Ipecac; D019297:2,4-Dinitrophenol