Over-The-Counter Appetite Suppressants Containing Phenylpropanolamine Hydrochloride (PPA) and the Young Adult: Usage and Perceived Effectiveness

Abstract

A survey of 944 young adults regarding their usage and perceived effectiveness of over-the-counter (O-T-C) diet pills containing phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride (PPA) showed that 30.1 percent of the women had consumed these preparations during the year prior to the interview. Women who either perceived themselves as being very overweight and/or desired to lose the most poundage tended to consume more diet pills. About 25 percent of the women who had ingested appetite suppressants reported various side effects. The vast majority of women (86%) believed that the pills were useful only on a very short-term basis, or that they acted as placebos, with little or no anorectic action and/or that they were completely ineffective. Only 3.7 percent of the men had used an O-T-C diet preparation. In a second survey of 425 young adults the potentiality for overdosage was demonstrated by the 47 percent of the women who had used two or more O-T-C preparations (diet pills and/or decongestants) containing PPA in a twenty-four-hour period and the 10 percent who had consumed three or more.