The crisis is obesity. It’s the fastest-growing cause of disease and death in America. It is responsible for such diseases as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer and much more. And it’s completely preventable. Nearly two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese. One out of every eight deaths in the United States is caused by an illness directly related to overweight and obesity.

The good news is that obese individuals can often decrease their risk for these medical problems by losing a modest amount of weight-even as little as 5 to 15% of body weight. In many cases, weight loss can improve symptoms of obesity-related disorders, or slow and even reverse disease progression. Nearly a third of all cases of hypertension are caused by obesity, and weight loss is the best way to prevent and treat high blood pressure.

Americans are more sedentary than every, spending more time in front of their computers and televisions. The keys to fighting obesity are simple, but motivating people to do them is what is complicated. Are consuming less calories and exercising that difficult? Apparently so, as more and more people struggle with this dilemma. At the same time, there are fewer opportunities in daily life to burn calories: children watch more television daily; many schools have done away with or cut back on physical education; many neighborhoods lack sidewalks for safe walking; the workplace has become increasingly automated; household chores are assisted by labor-saving machinery; and walking and cycling have been replaced by automobile travel for all but the shortest distances. We ride our cars to the gym to climb stairs!

One of the best alternative weight loss remedies for decreasing the desire to eat which I have found beneficial in my clinical practice is the herb Hoodia Gordonii. This African plant looks like a cactus and is a member of the milkweed family. Hoodia was originally used for thousands of years by the Sans people in the Kalahari desert as an appetite suppressant. They also used it to increase their energy.

The main ingredient in Hoodia that makes it effective is called P57. P57 effects the brain, telling you to reduce your food intake. There was a small clinical study to show its effectiveness which showed it did reduce food intake significantly compared with a placebo. This supports the medicinal use by the Sans people for thousands of years. I have found it to be one of the best weight loss supplements to help curb your appetite.

Hoodia will not “burn” fat like some companies claim. It simply decreases your desire for food. So I recommend taking it 30 minutes to an hour before eating. Hoodia can be a great aid in fighting your urge to eat. It is not a magic pill to will take off fat. When used with a combination of other weight loss techniques, such as getting on a good exercise routine, it can be part of a sensible weight loss regime. Knowing which foods to eat and which ones to stay away from are also important.

People with diabetes should be cautious about using hoodia. One of the theories about how hoodia works is that it tricks the brain into thinking that it has enough glucose or blood sugar. Without proper feedback regulation, it’s possible that a person’s blood sugar could drop dangerously low while taking hoodia. And with the regular hunger mechanism turned off, the normal warning signs may be suppressed, until it’s too late.

Hoodia is believed to suppress not only appetite but thirst as well. There have been unconfirmed reports of tribes in Africa who took hoodia to take the edge off hunger pains, but died of dehydration because they didn’t feel thirsty.

And as a general precaution, because the safety in pregnant or nursing women, children, or people with liver or kidney disease hasn’t been established, these people in particular should avoid hoodia. As with any weight loss regiments, consult your physician or weight loss specialist first to avoid any complications.