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The pharmaceutical companies who manufacture weight loss pills are enjoying a boom time at the moment feeding off the desperation of a populus that is increasing in weight year after year.

Sales of prescribed weight loss pills and over the counter variants are going through the roof since the health scares surrounding types of this product caused it to be removed from circulation during the late 1990s. Links to heart valve disease were something of a death nail to the weight loss pill market.

Nowadays, the weight loss pill is experiencing a renaissance. According to the pharmaceutical companies these weight loss pills are made completely of natural ingredients and are no longer of risk but yet they are still dogged by health issues.

Weight loss pills can be either prescribed or bought over the counter and the difference between the two are briefly highlighted here:

Prescription Weight Loss Pills:

Weight loss pills that are prescribed are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration agency. These pills have been monitored and scrutinized by the administration prior to use by the general public and as such are deemed the safer option.

The most popular of these is Xenical which works by reducing the amount of fat consumed by the body by 30 %. Unfortunately, Xenical is still dogged by side effects that include passing gas, abdominal cramping, increased number of bowel movements, leakage of oily stool and a loss of total control over bowel movements.

Over-the-Counter Weight Loss Pills:

The temptation to use over-the-counter weight-loss pills is often irresistible and the fact that many are not regulated warrants the question, are these products safe?

There are many pharmaceutical companies cashing in on the revived weight loss pill market and this is mirrored by the myriad of products available. Here is a shortlist of products, their claims and what you need to know:

1 Hoodia:

Possibly one of the better known products, claims to decrease appetite substantially.

Verdict: No conclusive evidence to support any of their claims.

2. Alli:

Reduces fat absorption by the intestines. A lesser strength variant of Xenical.

Verdict: As one of the few FDA approved over the counter weight loss pills it has the benefit of backing to substantiate its weight loss claims.

3. Guar gum:

Stops absorption of fat and suppresses appetite.

Verdict: Unlikely to cause weight loss, can cause gastrointestinal problems.

4.Green tea extract: Much revered in certain circles as it is claimed to increase metabolism

Verdict: Limited supportive evidence.

There are literally hundreds more all with relatively the same verdict. There is one resounding factor that all of these weight loss pills have in common. They all state that they are more effective when used in conjunction with a diet and a exercise routine.

If you decide to use a weight loss pill and follow its instruction to use a diet and an exercise program isn’t that hiding whether or not the tablet is effective or not?

Personally, I would forget the weight loss pill and look for an effective weight loss plan that will:

1. NOT tell me to go on a low calorie diet yet still provide me with fast but sustained weight loss

2. NOT put my health at risk

3. NOT cost a fortune

4. NOT be difficult to keep up

Never take diet drugs if pregnancy is suspected or if you are allergic to sulfites and tartrazine. Individuals under 18 or over 60 should consult their doctor prior to taking weight loss pills

The book of Esther is a story in the Bible about a powerful woman who plays power politics in the court of King Xerxes, one of the greatest and most ruthless historical figures of the ancient world. Esther risks her life in a game of high-stakes politics and manages to save the Jewish people. That alone would make the book of Esther one of the most unusual books in all of Scripture. But add one more thing to make it stand out. It’s the only book in all of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) that does not mention God.

Not only is God not mentioned, neither is prayer.

There are also some peculiar nuances to the book of Esther. For instance, at the outset of the book, the young Jewish heroine of the story is named Hadassah but she ditches her Jewish name in favor of the more popular Persian name of Esther (the book of Esther takes place in ancient Persia).

When the young Esther is made Queen of Persia through her marriage to King Xerxes, her cousin (who was also her guardian) warns her not to tell her husband or anyone else at court that she is Jewish. She keeps that promise as long as she can.

This does not exactly seem like a story about one of the great heroines of Scripture! Here is a person who camouflages her faith, does not mention God, does not ever mention that she has prayed … but is nevertheless considered one of the great figures in the history of the Jewish and Christian faiths.

Most commentators agree that the absence of the word God is actually a literary device in the story that underscores one of the book’s central messages. This message is the rather old-fashioned word of “providence.” Providence means that God’s divine will is fulfilled, even in people who are not believers in God (like Esther’s husband, King Xerxes, who was a pagan), even in situations where God is not overtly acknowledged, and even at times when people do not necessarily act “religious.”

This is not to say that the omission of God’s name in the story of Esther means that Esther did not believe in Him. There is considerable evidence in the story that Esther–at least in the second half of the story–has strong faith. Prayer is not mentioned once in the book of Esther, but it is implied. Maybe it occurred, maybe it did not.

The providence factor holds that God is able to accomplish His plan even if every human player lets Him down.

The plan in Esther is a complicated one that rivals any Alfred Hitchcock suspense plot for twists and turns. King Xerxes, her husband, is tricked into signing a decree that would legalize the killing of all the Jews in Persia. This plan is the brainchild of the evil Haman, possibly the greatest arch-villain of all Scripture (besides Satan, of course). (Hitler is considered a kind of Haman figure.) King Xerxes agrees with Haman’s plan and even signs it into law without realizing that his beloved wife Esther is Jewish and that he is, in effect, signing her death certificate.

At the same time, Esther and her cousin know that something must be done to undo the damage of this genocidal edict but there is a catch. According to the Bible, no law in ancient Persia could ever be repealed, not even by the king himself. The bold and extremely clever Esther manages to play power politics–sometimes from within the confines of the king’s harem. Esther knows that even the slightest mistake could wind up costing her life.

Esther manages to not only expose Haman’s plan but to figure out a way to save the Jewish nation.

All without mentioning God. Since the book is about Providence, commentators say that God had always planned to spare His chosen people, the Jews. There was no way that a plan like Haman’s (or later, Hitler’s) could succeed in destroying all Jews. God used whom and what He needed to help Esther “save” her people, although, in fact, it was God’s providence that worked through her.

For commentators, Esther is the ultimate story about how coincidence is never really random and how God can work through the most seemingly impossible circumstances.