Paris Hilton recently admitted that she takes Adderall for attention deficit disorder.  At the moment, Adderall is the latest diet drug craze in Hollywood, and the number of celebrities taking it continues to rise. For some high-flying, hard-partying girls it has become a miracle pill. Worryingly, even when taken as instructed, Adderall can cause serious side effects such as psychotic episodes, depression and serious heart problems. Some celebrities also take Clenbuterol, known as “Clen”. Commonly prescribed to treat respiratory problems in horses, in humans it promotes weight loss. While Clenbuterol and Adderall appear to be effective weight loss pills in the short-term, after a while, some users report sudden weight gain. Having accelerated the natural metabolism, the body eventually adapts and the drugs stop working.

See also: Adderall Review; Clenbuterol Review

While there is no evidence that Kate Middleton takes these drugs, some sources have reported that she may be using the Dukan diet, which is a low carbohydrate and high-protein plan. Just like the controversial Atkins diet there are many unanswered questions regarding the effectiveness and safety of this diet.

Dukan diet

The Dukan diet consists of a mixture of high-protein and low fat foods. Researchers at the Institut Pasteur in Lille, France have found the Dukan diet may affect natural metabolism and create nutritional imbalances. The program starts with a short period of eating only meat, fish and eggs. This first all-protein phase lasts for 5 to 10 days depending on how much weight loss is required. Next comes the cruise phase, when  days with protein and vegetables can be included with protein-only foods. In all, there are four stages to the diet consisting of: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization, whereby foods are withdrawn and then slowly re-introduced.

Some individuals have achieved rapid weight loss, but losing weight quickly can result in gall stones, bone problems and muscle wastage. The Dukan diet book has sold two million copies, and celebrities such as Giselle Bundchen and Jennifer Lopez have been said to have used the diet.

Exercise

Kate Middleton is known to be a regular in the gym and does at least a 1 hour workout every day, using the private facilities installed at Clarence House. Her favourite high workout is believed to include rowing, running and weight lifting. Kate also cycles regularly balancing her cardio workouts with yoga sessions to improve flexibility.

Holiday activities with Prince William include skiing which can burn up to 1400 calories an hour. Kate loves tennis and plays at Princess Diana’s old club, the Harbour Club in Chelsea. She is also a regular swimmer which helps with her body toning.

It seems that no matter how much some people eat they never get fat. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Cell Metabolism a gene has been detected in a wide range of species which regulates fat formation.

This gene was originally discovered at Yale University by Winifred Doane, more than 50 years ago. The graduate student was observing fruit flies and recorded that some were appreciably fatter than the general population, while others were skinnier. Doane, now a Professor at Arizona State University, tracked the differences in body size to a single gene that she named “the adipose gene.”

More recently, scientists have discovered that fruit flies with the fully functioning adipose gene were very thin. Those with poorly functioning copies were fatter. Mice specifically bred to have efficient versions of the adipose gene were significantly slimmer than normal counterparts, with 66% less body fat than wild mice.

Theoretically, it is believed that it may be possible to engineer an obesity treatment that mimics what the adipose gene does. But do not wait around, as the treatment could still be a long way off.

It may be possible to lower blood pressure by using a drug called Orlistat that blocks fat uptake in the gut. That is the conclusion drawn from a meta-analysis of previously published studies reported in the March 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and is responsible for approximately 7 million deaths around the globe each year. Lowering blood pressure levels has been shown to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular related illnesses.

Researchers based at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, reviewed 48 articles that were published before March 2007, and analyzed weight-loss interventions for patients with hypertension.

Patients assigned to weight loss diets, or Orlistat reduced their body weight more effectively than did patients in the placebo/control groups states the report. Reduction of blood pressure was greater in patients treated with weight loss diets or Orlistat, than in the placebo/control groups. A reduction in body weight of approximately 8.8 pounds was necessary to achieve a drop of approximately 6 milligrams of mercury in systolic blood pressure with dietary treatment, and of approximately 2.5 milligrams of mercury with Orlistat.