UK newspapers and health journals are awash with the news that in the UK, the sale of laxatives is greatly rising and that it is not to do with people getting constipated. The big rise in laxative sales are being pushed because by taking them after fatty meals people think that they will lose weight instead of putting it on. According to the market researchers Mintel, laxative sales have risen to 52 million pounds sterling annually way up from around 30 million in 2001 and it looks like the trend is continuing upwards as the UK is becoming more dysfunctional in its attitude to food and eating.

Laxatives are not in anyway meant to be used by people to lose weight and should only be used to ease a blocked digestive system. By over using laxatives people can induce diarrhoea that mans that body fluids will be lost causing dehydration and yes…possibly weight loss but the very worst type of weight loss that does not necessarily include fat loss but probably just loss of water and muscles mass.

The number of people suffering from eating from eating disorders is also on the increase in the UK and the fact that that laxative sales are on the increase is no coincidence. The media images of super thin models and actresses are putting pressure on teenagers and young people to get unrealistically thin and this is part of the problem.

The research group did say that not all laxatives are bought by people to try to lose weight and that there are many people especially elderly people who buy the medication to help them digest their food, but as the laxatives do not require a prescription it is difficult to stop young people who buy them from abusing the drugs and their bodies.

The NHS has warned that people who use laxatives for weight loss are putting their health in danger as they can create damage in the bowel and a chemical imbalance in the digestive system.