Appetite suppressants initially seem to be a promising strategy for weight loss. By taking a prescription drug or an herbal supplement, the body will theoretically shut down its hunger and automatically eat less. As a result, the person will drop excess body fat and experience a steady decline in all the obesity-related risk factors: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and so on. It all sounds great at first, but a closer look at the complex relationship between people and their foods reveals that this approach is only minimally successful, at best.

The only carbohydrates that don't trigger subsequent hunger are whole grains such as quinoa or boiled whole grain kamut, for example. Everything else in the carbohydrate world, including oatmeal and Cream of Wheat, is a strong appetite stimulant that will only make you eat more.

All of this doesn't mean appetite suppressant drugs and diet pills won't be successful in the marketplace: most people would rather take a shortcut to losing weight if there's one available. But here's why the drugs won't work very well: even if your appetite is artificially reduced by the drugs, your body will keep on craving until it gets the nutrients it needs. If you don't supplement your diet with whole food and superfood supplements (like chlorella and spirulina) that provide superior nutrition, your body will be in a never-ending state of nutrient deficiency, and turning off the hunger signals will be all but impossible, no matter how powerful the drug.