A major health concern for Americans today is obesity. It is approximated that two-thirds of American adults are considered overweight, while one-third of Americans are considered obese or seriously overweight. Obesity is defined as “having an abnormal amount of body fat; being 20 to 30 percent over the ideal weight for age, sex, and height,” and it plagues modern Americans as the number one health concern.

Setting aside its considerable emotional and aesthetic issues, obesity is a huge risk factor for life-threatening health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney problems, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, and gallstones. Excessive body weight also creates a large amount of stress on joints, ultimately increasing a person’s chances of developing arthritis.

Given the risks inherent in being obese or even overweight, it’s important to take safe, natural steps to improve one’s health. One way to do this is to utilize herbal weight loss methods. Herbal supplements are a great way to achieve natural weight loss.

Herbal weight loss may help to raise the body’s metabolism level, suppress the appetite, and/or add to overall health and well-being. But, as always when starting a new weight-loss regime, it’s important to be aware of any possible side effects of herbal and/or natural weight loss supplements. Always consult with a health care professional.

Examples of weight loss supplements and herbal weight loss methods include:

• Aloe Vera: improves digestion by cleaning the digestive tract.
• Astralgus: provides a boost of energy and quickly satisfies any craving for sweets.
• Bee pollen: a herbal weight loss method that stimulates metabolism and, as with Astralgus, quickly satisfies any urge for sweets.
• Ephedra (also known as huang): a weight loss supplement that suppresses appetite and increases the metabolism.
• Kelp: provides a boost to the metabolism.
• Licorice: reduces any cravings for sweets and regulates blood sugar levels.

Modern herbal weight loss supplements like combine several fat burning herbs into one weight loss formula. People losing weight with the help of weight loss supplements rarely if ever experience side effects, other than increased confidence from having lost the weight. Still, weight loss herbs should be combined with healthy eating and lifestyle habits, as well as moderate exercise 2-3 times per week. When taken alone however, weight loss pills like Proactol can help a person bind up to 27% of fat before digesting it, burn off stored fat and calories and increase energy and motivation to exercise and lose more weight.