I recently gave up smoking and I’ve found the pounds have really piled on. I’m looking for a quick fix and am thinking of trying diet pills. Do they work?
Matt Tomsford, by email

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for losing weight. You may have heard it a thousand times or more but it’s true: a life of healthy eating and regular exercise is the best, and safest, way of losing weight and keeping your weight down.

Usually fat-loss pills cause fluid loss, not fat loss, which may fool someone into thinking they’re losing fat and explains why the weight quickly returns. Most fat-loss pills come with advice to adopt a healthy diet and exercise regularly while taking the pills, and it’s this that enables weight loss.

People who are dangerously overweight are sometimes prescribed weight reduction medications, but even these require you to eat healthily and exercise. Pills might be tempting, but you’re better off losing weight the old-fashioned way.

If you would like more information about Dr Rob Hicks please visit www.drrobhicks.co.uk.