Choosing the right diet pill for you can be a pretty hard decision, there seems to be a huge amount of information from the media and the supplement industry, all of which can be very confusing at first glance.

We have written this guide to give you an insight into the 3 main types of diet pills available.

1. Fat Binders / Fat blockers

This type of diet pill is the biggest selling of its kind, with Alli being the UK's favourite dieting aid. Alli contains the drug Orlistat which works to block a percentage of dietary fat in your daily meals.

Although effective, the resulting unprocessed fat (which resembles oil) can leave the body at rather unpredictable times, giving birth to the now common Alli phrase known as the "Alli oops".

News has also emerged that Orlistat, the key ingredient in Alli is now under investigation by the FDA over fears its use results in liver damage. Read more... Orlistat side effects

We advise for the moment you should probably avoid both Xenical and Alli, which both contain Orlistat, until the FDA have made their decision over what action to take.

Again, natural seems to be the way forward with Proactol - containing prickly pear extract being mentioned as the best alternative. Get the full scoop here and read the Proactol review

Popular fat binders:

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Effectiveness (3/5)
FDA Approved Yes
Side Effects Moderate
Money Back Guarantee
 None
Review Alli Review

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Effectiveness (4.5/5)
Scientifically Proven
 Yes
Side Effects None
Money Back Gurantee
 6 Months
Available from
 Proactol Website

2. Appetite Suppressants

Appetite suppressants are gaining increasing popularity as they combat the biggest enemy in dieting - overeating. By controlling the amount you physically want to eat, appetite suppressants can halve snacking and binge eating by making you feel full faster and for longer.

Appetite suppressants come in many guises but nearly all of them increase levels of the chemical serotonin in the hypothalamus, this is the part of the brain which regulates appetite.

There are two routes you can take when choosing an appetite suppressant, you could ask your GP for a prescription only drug - the most common being Reductil, or you could go for a natural, and drug free alternative.

Natural alternatives include Hoodia Gordonii extract, seaweed extract, and other less common plant extract derivatives. There is normally very little difference in effectiveness, with Reductil being slightly stronger, but more prone to unwanted side effects. Read our Reductil side effects for more information.

Our recommendation would be to try a drug free appetite suppressant first, before taking prescription strength drugs. Hoodia Gordonii is more than up to the job, and will help you cut around 500-1000 kcals a day pretty effortlessly.

Hoodia is the best selling appetite suppressant in the UK, read more about Hoodia Weight Loss.

Popular appetite suppressants:

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Effectiveness (4.5/5)
Scientifically Proved
 Yes
Side Effects None
Money Back Guarantee Yes
Review
 Unique Hoodia Review

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Effectiveness (2.5/5)
GP Approval Prescription only
Side Effects Moderate
Money Back Guarantee No
Review
 Reductil Review

3. Fat Burners

This type of diet pill is generally considered the least effective; they usually contain stimulants such as caffeine or guarana which speed up the metabolism. Fat burners are often associated with a number of side effects, most notably rapid heartbeat and headaches.

Recently the FDA (US Food and Drugs Administration) have issued a series of health warnings and even banned one fat burner - Hydroxycut after the death of a US teenager.

Popular Fat burners:

Effectiveness (3/5)
Scientifically Proven No
Side Effects Mild
Money Back Guarantee No
Review
 Thermatrim Review