Few people go through life's turbulences without falling prey to some addiction or the other. Addiction to alcohol, cigarettes and drugs has ruined many a life. Diet pill addiction doesn't by any stretch of imagination fall in that category.

Addiction to diet pills can in fact help some obese people regain zest for life by quashing their hunger pangs and checking their calorie intake. This helps them shed unwanted pounds, which would have otherwise weighed them down in their personal, social and professional lives.

Once they break out of the shackles of their unwanted baggage, they are free to soar the heights and pursue their dreams. Snide comments about their weight would become a thing of the past as their newfound confidence peps up their lives at home and elsewhere.

But all this depends on their making informed choices after collecting detailed information about the diet pills available in the market. Whether it is the common over the counter appetite suppressants such as caffeine pills and ephedrine hydrochloride or prescription diet pills like the popular Phentermine, variety is the name of the game and the consumer is spoilt for choices. This also implies that the consumer has to be alert and take measured decisions about the diet pills that best suit him or her.

Many herbal diet pills not scrutinized by the government's drug watchdogs may not even contain what the labels say they do. They often make tall claims about working miracles, which rarely ever happens.

Wrong choices can do more harm than good and cause more health risks than the ones you sought to eliminate by shedding excess weight. When someone abuses diet pills, the heart and the kidney typically gets affected.

Addiction to wrong diet pills can cause nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, high blood pressure, fatigue, hyperactivity, heart arrhythmias, palpitations, congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke.

Urinary tract problems, headaches, dry mouth, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, intestinal disturbances, tightness in chest, excessive perspiration, dizziness, disruption in menstrual cycle, change in sex drive, hair loss, blurred vision and fever are other possible side effects.

Overdoses can also cause tremors, confusion, hallucinations, shallow breathing, renal failure, heart attack and convulsions.

So, the bottom line is nothing in life comes easy. Make research your friend. There is a lot of diet pill information out there. Tap it and make the best possible choice so that you don't have to contend with unnecessary side effects.