Fat has become a villain in our lives—from ‘being fat’ to ‘eating fat’— and has led to the emergence of “fat burners”. These include fat-burning workouts, exercise machines and heart rate monitors in the gym that have fat-burning options and nutrition supplements called fat burners.
Are fat burners useful and safe? There are more than 50 individual dietary supplements and more than 125 combination products available for weight loss, over the counter. Most of these supplements either increase energy expenditure, modulate carbohydrate metabolism, increase satiety, block dietary fat absorption or enhance mood. Some common dietary supplements include ephedra, bitter orange, guarana, caffeine (increases energy expenditure), chromium, ginseng (modulates carbohydrate metabolism), psyllium, guar gum (increases satiety), L-carnitine, hydroxycitric acid, catechins (present in green tea), vitamin B5, licorice, conjugated linoleic acid, pyruvate (increases fat oxidation), chitosan (blocks dietary fat absorption) and St. John’s wort (enhances mood) etc.

Not all fat-loss supplements work. More research is needed to validate their claims and role in weight management. Meanwhile, research on several nutrients and their potential use in obesity management is exciting. These include:
Omega-3 fatty acid: Clinical studies have reported that eating oily fish (salmon, mackerel, and herring), flaxseeds and walnuts—all rich in Omega-3 fatty acids—aids weight loss and effectiveness of low calorie diets. Perhaps, the mechanisms involved include increased satiety and improved insulin sensitivity.

Mono-unsaturated fatty acids: Found in olive oil, mustard oil and most nuts; these seem to help those on low calorie weight loss diets. MUFA-rich diets have been found to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce abdominal fat.
Medium-chain triglycerides: Studies have investigated the use of MCTs—the kind of fat present in coconut for weight loss. When MCTs were consumed during breakfast, the amount of food consumed at lunch was significantly less. Also, the insulin responses to the meals were lower.

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