There are dozens if not hundreds of diet pill brands that are available to obtain over the counter without prescription. How do we choose which ones we should use? Which OTC diet pills work fastest, which ones contain natural ingredients, which ones are safest? All your questions answered.
Content Table
Quick Look: Best OTC Diet Pills for 2024
- PhenQ – fat burner and appetite suppressant
- Leanbean – women only diet pill
- Phen Gold – fat burner and hunger reducer
We were also reasonably impressed with Alli. If you are not familiar with it, Alli is a watered-down version Orlistat that is available from a pharmacy or chemist.
No prescription is needed, but pharmacists and chemists are not allowed to sell Alli to people who do not have a BMI of 28 or more. So it is really a hybrid.
Anybody who has reached such a level of obesity may be eligible for an prescription.
That would probably work out cheaper and they would also be getting the full strength version, so Alli is a little pointless and we would never be willing to recommend it because it lacks a money back guarantee.
We are 100% behind our recommended OTC diet pills, but we understand some people prefer to do their own research.
There is a lot to be said for taking a hands-on approach and anyone who uses our three main evaluation criteria will probably find it helps them to learn which products to avoid.
Over the Counter Diet Pills Without Prescription
If your Body Mass Index (MBI) is over 27 you are classed as overweight and may be eligible for prescription diet pills.
If your BMI is under but still high then you should still take steps to reduce your weight.
Using a weight loss supplement (diet pill) is a fast, cost effective and safe way to lose weight – IF you choose the right diet product.
The best OTC diet pills are either.
- fat burners
- fat blockers
- appetite suppressants
The fact that so many people in the United States and the UK are struggling with weight issues is very worrying and an article published by the NHS highlights the problem by calling Britain “the fat man of Europe”. The Unites States fares even worse.
It also presents a grim picture of the future by stating current estimates suggest 50% of the population will be obese by the year 2050.
The sad thing is many people are desperate to lose weight, but find it too hard to do.
Those who are already classed as obese (24.9% of the population) may be eligible for prescription for diet pills.
Anyone who is overweight, but not considered obese, will have to find an alternative source of help – over the counter diet pills (also known as OTC weight loss supplements).
Unfortunately, finding a non-prescription over-the-counter diet pill in the hundreds of brands advertised can be a daunting task. Which one is most effective
A lot of products don’t have the ability to do the things they are supposed to do and there are others that may make the user feel ill.
The worst thing is nearly all of them are sold via very convincing websites that make them sound like the best thing since sliced bread. It’s not all doom and gloom though. There are a few good options available, it’s just a case of learning how to differentiate the good ones from the not so good.
How to Spot a Good Over the Counter Diet Pill
When we are reviewing otc diet pills we look at a number of different factors.
We usually start by looking at the benefits the weight loss supplements allegedly offer and then check to see if the ingredients are strong enough to pull it off.
Other things we look at are how long the product has been on the market and the amount of and quality of customer feedback that has been accumulated.
We also feel it is important that customers are provided with a way of reclaiming their money if the product lets them down.
We look at other things as well, but product potency, customer feedback, and the presence of a money back guarantee are generally the most important deciding factors.
Diet pill products that fail to provide these three things are highly unlikely to receive our recommendation. At the moment we have only found three diet pills we are confident enough to recommend:
Best Over the Counter Diet Pills for 2024
Here are the most effective, safest and best value otc diet pills available to buy in 2024.
1. PhenQ – fat burner and appetite suppressant
This is not the first time PhenQ has made our list of best diet pills and there is a good chance it will not be the last because the level of support customers are provided with takes a lot of beating.
Customers love this product. It’s already helped nearly 200,000 people to make their dreams of weight loss come true and the capsules are 100% vegan friendly and safe to use.
PhenQ is designed to provide weight loss without side effects and that’s exactly what it does. It is arguably the best phentermine alternative available over the counter.
Although diet pills that don’t cause side effects are in the minority, the real secret to this product’s success is the way it’s designed to work.
PhenQ offers a better combination of benefits than any other diet pill on the market by controlling hunger, blocking fat production, boosting the metabolism, encouraging the body to burn its fat, boosting energy levels, and helping to improve the mood.
Energy levels can drop dramatically when the daily calorie intake is reduced, and saying no to favourite foods can be a real downer, so PhenQ’s ability to boost energy levels and enhance the mood is more important than it may appear
2. LeanBean – weight loss supplement for women
LeanBean is a uniquely formulated fat burner designed especially for women. It can be used by all women whatever their goals.
Arguably the biggest misconception surrounding weight loss is that everyone loses weight in the same or a similar way. This is wrong.
Men and women put on weight (and lose weight) very differently – for women, hormones play a major role.
LeanBean has been created to address a hormonal (estrogen) imbalance that can make burning excess body difficult.
LeanBean is available from the official website – there are weight loss guides to accompany the product and the manufacturers offer a lengthy money back guarantee. If you are a woman …and you want to burn fat… this is the product for you.
3. PhenGold – fat burner and appetite suppressant
PhenGold is another popular Phentermine substitute.
The bottle is not so eye-grabbing as the one PhenQ diet pills are packed into, but this product provides an average weight loss of three to five pounds per week and a lot of users lose a lot more.
Phen375 is marketed along with the promise that it contains a “scientifically researched advanced formula” that will make you lose weight easier and faster than before.
Thousands of former and existing users affirm the statement is true.
Quality counts for a lot in the diet pill industry so, as with the other products on our list of best diet pills for 2024, PhenGold only contains the best and all of them are pharmacy grade.
After the pills have been consumed, the formulation works on the appetite and lessens hunger, while also giving the body’s natural fat burning ability a tweak.
The official website places more focus on the product’s appetite suppressing abilities, but this is likely to be in an effort to make PhenGold appear more attractive to Phentermine seekers. Rest assured, it has more to offer and over 218,000 people have already decided to lose weight this product in place of something else.
Over the Counter Diet Pill – Further Advice
Customer feedback on comparable otc weight loss supplements can be a tricky issue. It’s never good to rely on testimonials published on a manufacturer’s website because they can often be misleading.
Information obtained from more impartial sources, such as blogs, dieting forums, and third party retailers (where applicable) is likely to be more reliable.
Another thing to watch out for is the Free Diet Pill Scam. Companies that use this technique hook customers in by promising them a free supply of diet pills and then ask for a small payment to cover the postage costs.
The deal sounds pretty good on the face of it, but that “free” bottle of slimming tablets can turn out to be very expensive and result in an ongoing expense.
What customers do not realize is that, by accepting the offer of the free trial, they are also agreeing to enter into an automated billing and shipping agreement. If they do not opt out they will be charged for the free bottle of weight loss pills and sent a fresh shipment every month.
The money is taken from the card that was used to make the shipping payment and most people don’t realize they have been scammed until they receive their monthly statement.
Pills that are marketed this way often have prices of around $100 per bottle and the reason people fail to realize the true nature of the free trial is they are never told.
Sometimes the information is mentioned in the small print on the site’s terms and conditions page, but it is not always the case and most people never read the page anyway. A lot of people are getting rich by marketing diet pills, but not all of them have their customers’ best interests at heart.
If you are presently looking for a good non-prescription diet pill, we hope this article will aid you in your search and help you avoid the sharks.
If you don’t have time to go searching we strongly recommend you check out the reviews for our three recommended products.
We’ve already done all the hard work, they made our list of recommended diet pills for a reason, and all of three options are backed by a 60-day money back guarantee.
Prescription Diet Pills Vs Over the Counter
The amount of prescription-only diet pill options that are available varies from one country to the next.
Doctors in the USA have around five options at their disposal, the most popular of which is probably Phentermine. Doctors in the UK do not have the same level of choice.
There is only one government approved weight loss drug, its name is Orlistat, and doctors who are considering prescribing it as an anti-obesity treatment have to adhere to strict guidelines.
UK regulations state Orlistat can only be prescribed if the patient has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 or more and is also being treated for a weight-related health problem, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.
The only time the rules are allowed to be bent slightly is if the patient’s BMI is 30 or more. If this is the case the need for a weight-related health problem is no longer deemed necessary.
A Brief Overview of Orlistat and How it Works
The prescription-only weight loss drug Orlistat is distributed under a number of different brand names but, here in the UK, “Xenical” is the name most likely to be scribbled on a prescription.
Orlistat belongs to a class of drugs that are known as fat blockers. It works by interfering with the body’s ability to digest dietary fats.
In the normal state of affairs, each gram of fat that is eaten provides the body with nine calories.
That’s more than double the amount of calories provided by a gram of protein or carbohydrate and all those calories soon mount up. Orlistat reduces fat absorption by up to 30%.
It achieves this by retarding the activities of the digestive enzymes that are normally responsible for processing the fat contained in food. These enzymes are only necessary for digesting fat. Protein and carbohydrate will still be digested in the normal way.
Clinical trials show the average weight loss provided by Orlistat is 50% better than that of a placebo, but the recipients of an Orlistat prescription will not have to wait for the dials of the scales to start moving in a more favourable direction in order to see the drug is working.
It will probably be apparent the first time they need to use the toilet. All that blocked fat has to go somewhere, so it exits the body with the stool and its presence will make the stool softer and greasier than normal.
The Best Way to Use Orlistat
The best way to use Orlistat is in the way the prescribing doctor has recommended, but the normal dose is one (120g) Orlistat capsule taken within 60 minutes of each of the main meals of the day (breakfast, dinner, lunch).
It is also important to be aware the drug is intended to be used alongside a calorie controlled diet. Orlistat should never be thought of as a cheat pill and people who continue to pursue a long-standing relationship with greasy food could be in for a nasty surprise.
Negative Aspects & Other Considerations
Although the fat blocking abilities of Orlistat usually only result in a greasier stool consistency, and possibly some light spotting of the undergarments, people can really mess things up if they continue to eat a lot of fatty food.
Some of the premium otc diet pills offer a fat blocking capability – PhenQ is the best example of a natural weight loss supplement that can be bough in store, over the counter or online without prescription.
Adding more fat to the stomach gives the drug more fat to block. That means an increased amount of fat will be present in the stool and its slippery nature can cause it to move like greased lightning. The consequences of this should not require further explanation. Suffice it to say it can be extremely embarrassing.
The other problem with Orlistat is its use can rob the body of important fat-soluble vitamins. Fortunately, this can be easily rectified by taking a vitamin supplement two hours before of after the dose of Orlistat.
Other possible side effects include:
- Flatulence
- Allergic reactions
- Chest infections
- Headaches
The fact that Orlistat is the only drug that has been approved for prescription use in the UK says a lot. People in high places have taken a look at the various study results and decided it has value.
It also seem probable it was considered a safer option than Phentermine and all the other options that are sanctioned for use elsewhere in the world. Safer still are diet pills that are available over the counter – these are naturally formulated.
However, although Orlistat is available via prescription, the restrictions regarding the minimum BMI still place it out of the reach of people who are overweight, but not considered obese. Anyone who falls into this category will need to find an alternative way to loose weight.
A strict diet and exercise should do it, and the use of a quality supplement can speed the results. Even people who are provided with an Orlistat prescription will have to go this route in the end because, as soon as their BMI drops lower than 28, the treatment will stop.
Phentermine Overview and How it Works
Like Orlistat, Phentermine is a commonly prescribed anti obesity medication.
Phentermine works by suppressing appetite – reducing hunger so that daily calorie consumption is vastly reduced.
Some brand names that Phentermine is old under includes: Adipex (Adipex-P), Duromine and Ionamin and Suprenza.
The Phentermine alternatives available over the counter include PhenQ and PhenGold as we have mentioned above.
Top Over the Counter Diet Pills 2024 – Bottom Line
If you are dangerously overweight or obese your first call should be your doctor. You may be prescribed either Orlistat (a fat blocker) or Phentermine (an appetite suppressant).
You may not meet the criteria for prescribed diet pills so the natural or OTC weight loss pill route is your best option.
Of the available diet pills over the counter PhenQ is the best product followed by Leanbean and PhenGold.
