Phen-fentermine.com Glossary

Adipocytes - Fat Cells. A fancy term used by scientists rather than using plain english. Has twice as many syllables as fat cells.

Anorectic drugs- class of pharmaceuticals whose main purpose is to suppress the appetite and are therefore used and prescribed to patients who need to lose weight

Anorexia- An illness in which the sufferer has an accute fear of gaining weight and strives to lose weight, often at all costs. This involves a minimal amount of eating and often goes hand-in-hand with bulimia.

BCA (Body Composition Analysis)- Determines percent of body fat and percent of lean body tissue (lean body mass).

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)- the consumption of large amounts of food in a discrete period of time together with a subjective sense of loss of control and no vomiting or laxative abuse.

Body Mass Index- The Body Mass Index (BMI) is used by researchers to give a convenient and fairly accurate idea of the fat load on the body. It is found by dividing the height in meters by the weight in kilograms.

Bontril SR- an appetite suppressant. This medication is best taken on an empty stomach one hour before meals.

Bulimia- Eating disorder characterized by binge eating, sometimes followed by vomiting or purging

Calories- A unit of measurement of heat. The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of water from 14.5 C to 15.5 C.

Carbohydrate Calories- 4 calories per gram. When each gram of carbohydrate is used in metabolism, 4 calories of heat are produced

Cellulite- Bumps in the skin made by too many fat cells growing too large and stretching the natural fiber compartments which hold the skin to the underlying layers of tissue.

Compulsive Overeating- A compulsion to eat excessively. Binges often involve consuming several thousand calories in one go, and purging is also a trait of this condition. Obesity is common and the sufferer uses food to deal with emotional issues in their life, hence the much misused term "comfort eating". Compulsive Overeating is also sometimes known as binge-eating disorder.

Didrex- the anorectic agent benzphetamine hydrochloride. Benzphetamine hydrochloride is a white crystalline powder readily soluble in water and 95% ethanol. The chemical name for benzphetamine hydrochloride is d-N,-Ï Dimethyl-N-(phenylmethyl)-benzeneeth-anamine hydrochloride and its molecular weight is 275.82.

Diet- an organized plan of eating to lose weight.

Diuretics- Intended to shift water quickly through the body, diuretics are often prescribed for heart patients because they reduce blood pressure. Diuretic abuse is another method of purging.

Fad Diets- Diets which become fashionable, and often widespread, but which are not necessarily nutritious or effective at what they claim.

Fastin- Phentermine which was manufactured by Smith Kline beecham. It is no longer being manufactured.

Fat Calories- 9 calories per gram. When each gram of fat is used in metabolism, 9 calories of heat are produced.

FDA- Federal Drug Administration, a branch of the Health and Human Services (HHS) branch of the government and oversees the safety and effectiveness of all new drugs (medicines).

Generic Drug- Drugs which have outlived their protection patent and which may be manufactured by any company. An example of this would be phentermine which is a generic of brand name fastin.

Herbal phen-fen- A combination of St. Johns Wort and Ma Huang (ephedra). There are no studies to show this works.

Ideal Body Weight- The weight appropriate for an individual that results in a body mass index of 20-25.

Lean Body Mass- The fat-free mass or part of the body including all its components except fat storage.

Low Fat Diets- The American Diabetic Association recommends that a person maintaining their weight eat no more than 30% of their daily calories as fat. This means that if you are eating a 1000 calorie a day diet (to use round numbers) then the recommended allowance id 300 calories from fat.

Meridia (sibutramine)- Manufactured by Knoll Pharmaceutical Company, is used as a prescription weight loss diet pill.

Obesity- The excessive accumulation of body fat which increases the likelyhood of illness and a shorter lifespan. This is measured as over 30 BMI

Overweight- The excessive accumulation of body fat which does not increase the likelyhood of illness. This is measured as between 25 and 29.9 BMI

Phentermine- drug given to lower the appetite, used in treating overweight patients. Also known as phentermine hydrochloride. Phentermine is the generic name for several drugs, such as Fastin®, Ionamin®, Obenix®,Obephen®, Obermine®, Obestin®,Phentamine®, Phentride®, T-Diet®,Zantryl®,

Saturated Fat- Fatty acids that have all the hydrogen they can hold on their chemical chains. They mainly come from animal foods.

Seratonin- neurotransmitter manufactured by the brain stem and then transported to nerve endings throughout the brain and spinal cord. This specific Transmitter lets us know our stomachs are full

Starvation- Occurs after a prolonged low calorie intake. Anything below 900 calories a day is termed a starvation diet. The body responds to starvation by shutting down "non-essential" systems (for example, menstruation ceases), and lanugo (see above) is also common. Eventually, starvation can lead to serious long-term medical problems and death.

Tenuate- Diethylpropion HCl, acts as a central nervous stimulant to decrease the appetite.

Weight Control Center- found in the Hypothalamus, a marble-sized organ at the base of the brain which governs eating behavior. This is a genetically determined mechanism. It is influenced by life events such as giving birth, having an accident, or stopping smoking, or many other things.

Xenical (Orlistat)- Blocks about one-third of the fat in the foods you eat from being absorbed by your body. Manufactured by Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.