The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 18, 1981, Image 3
Local THE BATTALION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1981 Page 3 Diet pills can cause ill-effects ess hope ^ that (tie ivho are 1 to expect '■'joy one! forms ofti n always own tn nies ling cigar ie tradd good si .■masexi a line ask J Staff photo by Greg Gammon yn array of diet pills lines the shelves of a local supermarket, tfany diet pills contain phenylpropanolamine, a chemical timulant linked to high blood pressure. BY CATHY ANDERSON Battalion Reporter While dieters may believe that diet pills will help their efforts, doctors say dieters should be aware of possible ill-effects. Some appetite suppressants contain a chemical stimulant that can lead to high blood pressure if not taken properly. Dr. Murl Bailey, veterinary toxicologist at Texas A&M’s Col lege of Veterinary Medicine, said phenylpropanolamine, found in diet pills, stimulates the central nervous system, causing the heart rate to increase. Overdoses may lead to high blood pressure. Diet pills such as Dexatrim, Diatac and Ayds stimulate the blood sugar and suppress hunger, Bailey said. Phenylpropanolamine is also used as a decongestant. Dr. Claude Goswick, director of the A.P. Beutel Health Center, said the health center dispenses it in a decongestant drug called Resaide. However, cold tablets do not con tain nearly as much phenylpropa nolamine as diet pills do, he said. Goswick said phenylpropanola mine is a mild stimulant and con sumers don’t anticipate problems with appetite suppressants. “Sometimes people think over- the-counter drugs won’t do any harm, so they take more than the recommended dosage,” he said, and this is when problems occur. People with high blood press ure or those susceptible to high blood pressure should not take these drugs, Goswick said. Over time, the central nervous system tends to develop a toler ance to phenylpropanolamine, Goswick said, so people increase their risks by taking higher dos ages. High blood pressure can lead to kidney problems, strokes and heart disease. If the blood press ure remains elevated, changes in the kidney may occur and this may cause hypertension, he said. “If a student comes in here and has high blood pressure, we take readings over a period of time to determine if it is a prolonged con dition,” Goswick said. “A lot of things can lead to temporary high blood pressure, such as a test. “If the student still has an ele vation in blood pressure over a period of time, we recommend that they go to their family physi cian, as we do not handle these Goswick said the health center staff has not had any patients come in with symptoms associated with an overdose of phenylpropanola mine. “But I have heard of cases with side effects caused from tak ing over-the-counter diet pills,” he said. Goswick said amphetamines available by prescription can pro duce better results for dieters, though the health center does not prescribe them. A well-balanced diet in con junction with an exercise program is the best way to lose weight, he said. Exercise has a double function, burning calories and toning mus cles. However, exercise alone is not a sufficent method of losing weight, he said. “The main factor in any weight loss program is cutting your calor ie intake,” he said. THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH WELCOMES YOU SUNDAY SERVICES 7:30 A.M., 8:30 A.M., 9:10 A M., 11:00 A.M. CANTERBURY Meets in Episcopal Student Center WEDNESDAYS 5:30 P.M. ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 906 Jersey St., 696-1726 (South edge of Campus) Mormons to share skills at Earth Fair Saturday —kt By TINA LYNCH Battalion Reporter “Getting back to basics” has be- ome popular today, but Mor ons, or members of the Church if Jesus Christ of Latter-day !aints, have long practiced a basic estyle of home production and mily preparedness. Saturday local Mormons will iare their knowledge, skills and afts with the public at their :cond annual Earth Fair from 10 m. until 4 p. m. at the Institute of |eligion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 100 exter Drive South in College Station. Over 900 local members have planned outdoor displays featur- igfood storage, canning, dehyd- ating, first aid, soap making, beese making, gardening, quilt- ig, sprouting, identifying edible lants, clothing storage and re- lanufacture, grinders and mills, juten, fuel storage and use, cook- g with wheat, making a sour dough starter, and beekeeping. Mormon families are counseled by their church leaders to be self- sufficient in home production and prepared in case of emergencies with storage of food, fuel and clo thing. “We believe in using our re sources,” said James Matis, Mor mon bishop and professor of statis tics at Texas A&M. “The church provides assistance to those who cannot care for themselves, but strongly encourages the indi vidual and the family in self- reliance.” The fair is a free public service to the community. * * * * * * * * CLASS OF ’84 First Class Meeting Tuesday Sept. 22 7:30-8:30 p.m. 607 Rudder Tower POTS OF PRIDE neat m itisonM 3 cutoff cue us ^ ruitarV just go®] vegotit*] iley Kis f ^coniP 1903 Old Hearne Rd. (1 Va Blocks Past Texas Mobile Home Outlet) OPEN Wed.-Sat. 8-6 Sun. 10-6 WHILE THEY LAST! $coo Below ^ Half Price! WHILE THEY LAST! SILK FLOWER & DRIED FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS 300 "O' slonF'j 5 as lf *f Editor 1 HANGING BASKETS Va OFF! ;sler.^ rtisi"? 1 * jivdy 10 T\ Boston Fern Colorado Ivy Peperomia Fishtail Fern Baby Jew Airplane WE HAVE AUSTRALIAN TREE FERNS! WICKER 1 /2 mm OFF! Many new items includ ing Love Seats, Chairs, Tables. (While They Last) TRUNKS & ETAGERES 30% OFF! 25% OFF All Greenhouse Plants DON’T MISS THIS SALE! PRICES GOOD THRU POTS OF SUN., PR1DE SEPT. 27 N l M TEXAS A&M II UMWERSTTY DR. \mall 1 | VILLA MARIA \ 1 HOUDAY INN TOWNSHIRE I KROGER HWY. 21 I WENGARTENS WEINERS OF * w OLD HEARNE RD. LOOK AT THIS AGS! jOVF» A new year is upon us where spirits are high, and friendships are renewed. TAMU has put the old GIG ’EM on t.u. two years in a row. Be part of the cause in making the win three by being a good Twelvth Man. Let everyone know you are an Aggie! Mark your books, stationery, notes, checks, Christmas cards, and anything else you can think of. Make great gifts! 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