Thick is the new slim… But how safe are those Internet weight gain products?
“THICK is the new slim,” Renay said when asked why she wanted to gain weight so badly. She, like many women, is an active user of social media, and was persuaded by constant images of ‘slim-thick ‘ Instagram models and celebrities that she needed to put on a few pounds in the right places, of course.
A friend recommended that she use Peritol, a tablet that she could get by the dozen in pharmacies, and swore that it would improve the size of her breasts, butt and hips after a few weeks. After taking just one tablet, however, she felt overwhelmingly drowsy and lightheaded. Although it did make her very hungry, she could barely keep her eyes open at work. She just wanted to eat and sleep.
There are many other women like Renay who struggle to gain weight just as much as some women struggle to lose it. They often resort to purchasing products that promise to increase their appetite, and only cause them to gain weight in certain areas. Gone are the days of ‘chicken pills’— the new craze is being marketed as ‘vitamin syrup’.
A registered pharmacist in New Kingston said the most popular product, Apetamin syrup, is illegal in Jamaica.
“Apetamin syrup is not registered in Jamaica so it should not be sold here,” she stated.
People who sell the antihistamine syrup, which is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), in Jamaica, mainly lure their customers on social media pages that boast multiple before and after pictures of clients.
When contacted, an Instagram account called “Apetamingainz”confirmed that one bottle of the syrup would cost $4,500, and would last for one week. A local cell number was given to arrange payment and pick-up.
The pharmacist shared that there are two licensed products in Jamaica with the same active ingredients as Apetamin. “The products that are registered in our Jamaican market that contain Cyproheptadine [the active ingredient in Apetmain]are Grobital Tonic and Tres-Orix Forte.”
But even these, she says, are not to be used by healthy adults and children for the purposes of weight gain.
“These are intended to treat anorexia, retardation in growth, loss of appetite, and severe loss of weight in adults and children.”
Peritol, a tablet that has grown in popularity because it is relatively cheap, is actually an allergy medicine, the pharmacist said.
“Peritol is indicated for hypersensitivity reactions, but some off-label uses are treating decreased appetite secondary to chronic diseases, migraine, headache, prophylaxis and so on,” she explained. “It is an antihistamine.”
She said the products are safe to consume, in appropriate doses, only for the named reasons.
She pointed out that weight gain in targeted areas such as the breasts, butt and thighs, are hormone-related, and none of these medications are hormone-based. It is therefore impossible for them to affect how fat is distributed in the body.
“General side effects of Cyproheptadine include dizziness, drowsiness, epigastric distress, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation,” she cautioned. She added that people who suffer from cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, and those with a history of asthma or other chronic breathing disorders, or thyroid dysfunction, should be extremely cautious when using these products.
Meanwhile, Nutritionist Donovan Grant recommends that those who want to gain weight go about it by making changes to their lifestyle.
“In essence, your calories or food will have to be increased so that some of the extra calories can be stored as fat. Also, muscle-building exercises would be helpful. Since muscles are more compact and dense than fat, building muscle can also increase your weight,” he said. “However, it is still very important to put on weight using healthy foods as much as possible. Try to avoid or reduce fried foods, sodas, pastries, etc. Also, a general rule is that it is easier to drink than to eat, so it is always easier to consume more calories by drinking, for example, porridge, soup, fruit juice and shakes.”
