24-year-old bodybuilder Liam Wills of South Wales was found dead in his motel room. On further investigations, it was found that the actor died because of a weight loss supplement. 2,4 – Dinitrophenol also known as DNP is the weight loss supplement which caused this death.
This is actually an illegal drug which is marketed as the miracle weight loss supplement. Many people in the bodybuilding community use this drug. Many have said that the drug ensures that you have a rapid weight loss. But people should know that rapid weight loss comes with a price and sometimes the price is your life just like in case of Wills.
DNP actually works by rapidly accelerating one’s metabolism rate which leads to sudden and quick weight loss. It was used for the first time by French manufacturing munitions during world war I. later on, it was used in different forms like pesticide, dye and even wood preserver.
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But in the year 1933, DNP was first used for human consumption. This drug which is found in both crystal and powdered form accelerates your weight loss process.
But the drug also has quite disastrous side effects. It leads to dehydration and in extreme cases even death. As a result in 1938, Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic act labeled this drug as “Extremely dangerous and unfit for human consumption”.
Kingston University professor has done extensive research on DNP and sports doping and said that the drug raises body temperature so that the metabolism rate is higher.
“When it is taken at the high-level doses which makes it effective for weight loss, health risks include short-term lethargy, nausea, vomiting, and an increased pulse rate,” Petroczi said. “Severe long-term effects can include cataracts, damage to the liver, and death.”
DNP is banned in both the UK and US but even then it is easily available online. With easy access to this drug, the number of death with consumption of this drug have also increased in recent times. Online shopping page will term DNP extremely fit but it is deemed to be extremely unfit for human use.