In today's world of instant gratification, more and more people are looking for easy ways out of difficult problems. This is particularly true of people who want to lose weight - a little or a lot of it. Instead of putting in the hard work and effort that goes along with hitting the gym five times a week, why not try a weight loss pill? How about a combination of both?

Plus, depending on what kind of weight loss pills you decide to try out, the per-month cost of the supplements are usually about as much as a gym membership. So, what've you got to lose by giving them a shot?

Apparently, the risk depends entirely on what kind of weight loss pill you decide to take. Remember Fen-Phen, the miracle weight loss drug of the 90s? Thousands of people in America began taking the drug, including Rosie O'Donnell. However, it was only after the product had been on the market for a few years that doctors started noticing the effects it had on the human heart. Around 30 percent of the people who took Fen-Phen ended up having abnormal EKG test results. Approximately $14 billion in lawsuits later, the miracle weight loss pill is no longer available. That said, many supplements containing ephedrine, the main ingredient in Fen-Phen, are still on store shelves today.

With drugs like Fen-Phen still in the back of the minds of many consumers, people are more critical of weight loss drugs than ever. Below are a few reviews of several weight loss pills, including their prices (as detailed by Consumer Reports and other reputable sources). More will be added in supplemental articles.

Alli

This is one of the few (if only) weight loss supplements that have actually been evaluated by the FDA for its effectiveness. Essentially a half dose of the prescription drug Xenical, Alli has been proven to help expedite weight loss by blocking the absorption of fat into the body.

Cost: $44.99 for 60 pills.

The Benefits: Over the course of six months, severely overweight people who took Alli lost a weight loss average of 5 pounds more than those on a placebo, while moderately overweight people had an average weight loss of 2.5 pounds more. FDA approval isn't an easy thing for weight loss supplements to obtain, so consumers can rest assured that the supplement will live up to its hype.

The Drawbacks: Potential side effects known as the underwear problem by the FDA include oily spotting, flatulence accompanied by an unexpected discharge and fatty stools.

Hoodia Supreme

According to the radio ads, when combined with diet and lifestyle changes, Hoodia Supreme shows dramatic appetite suppression. The active ingredient, hoodia, is a powdered African cactus that Nature's Benefit, the manufacturer, claims to help suppress appetite.

Cost: $39.99 for 60 pills.

The Benefits: Although no direct research on Hoodia Supreme has been published in a reputable medical journal, a similar competitor has. In a 15-day trial of Phytopharm, a British company, nine men and women took pills containing P57, touted as the active ingredient in hoodia. The study showed that people who took the real supplement consumed fewer calories and lost more body fat than those who took the placebo. A similar study published in the September 2004 edition of Brain Research reported similar P57 results in rats.

The Drawbacks: There isn't much evidence in favor of hoodia being a miracle weight-loss drug. Until more research is done, it is hard to say if Hoodia Supreme can live up to its claims. Moreover, the long-term effects of the supplement have yet to be seen.

CortiSlim

CortiSlim, produced by Window Rock Enterprises and formulated by Dr. Shawn Talbot, contains a combination of minerals, vitamins and different plant extracts. It claims to work by targeting cortisol, a specific hormone in the body that is caused by stress. The manufacturer of CortiSlim assert that the supplement controls body weight by helping to reduce food cravings caused by stress.

Cost:$9.99 for 60 pills.

The Benefits: The actual benefits of CortiSlim are hard to nail down. The manufacturer claims that the pills can help users to think more clearly, increase metabolism, control stress and stabilize blood sugar levels.

The Drawbacks: When it comes to CortiSlim, let the buyer beware. On January 4, 2007 the Federal Trade Commission fined Window Rock Health Laboratories $1.2 million for making unsupported claims in their advertisements. Since then, the company has changed their advertising message a bit, but still maintains that CortiSlim is effective and the ingredients in the supplement have been proven over 15 years of scientific research. The FTC's complaint holds that these claims are either unsubstantiated or false.

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