Shropshire doctor warns about dangers of diet pills after Eloise tragedy

Dr Faraaz Bhatti said people were putting their lives at risk by taking the pills, which do not work in any case. Eloise, of Mereside, Shrewsbury, had taken eight tablets of dinitrophenol, commonly known as DNP.

The Glyndwr University student died at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on April 12, having driven herself to hospital.

Dr Bhatti, who comes from Telford, said the drug had been labelled as "not fit for human consumption" by the UK Food Standard Agency in 2003.

However, Dr Bhatti said the drugs were still largely available over the internet, and was concerned that people taking the substance were unaware of the fatal effects.

The first death from DNP was reported in 1918, as a result of occupational exposure, but during the1930s small doses of the drug were briefly used as a weight-loss aid.

The drug was quickly banned after the dangers came to light.

"It was so toxic that in 1938 the USA legislated to stop its use," said Dr Bhatti.

"In the 1980s it was resurrected illegally, again for weight loss. And once again, it caused deaths.

"More recently it has made an emergence on the net.

"The cycle continues, so can we learn from history?"

Some of them can kill you.

This is not your normal shop or market. In large part it is an unregulated zone, a sort of consumer Wild West.

Ella Parry of Shrewsbury, just 21, bought some diet pills online. They were deadly. With no antidote, she could not be saved by medical staff.

Her bereaved mother has spoken movingly to warn of the dangers.

There will be many girls and young women, conscious of their body image, who would welcome a magic pill to slim themselves down.

That is why these particular pills had such a pernicious lure. By offering what appears to be an easy solution, they effectively prey on those young women who are vulnerable through their desire, driven by the wider pressures of society, to lose weight.

Today a former Shropshire doctor has told on our pages of the terrible effects of DNP, the culprit in Ella's case, and gets across the message that diet pills do not work.

Clearly, you should seek medical advice.

Dr Bhatti said the body was made up of millions of cells, each containing tiny parts called mitochondria, which create ATP – or energy.

"They are the powerhouse of the cell," he said.

"We need this energy to survive. DNP stops this process, and energy is not produced in the normal way."

Dr Bhatti, who works as a doctor in emergency medicine at Leeds, said the drug causes the body to "panic" and try to make up the deficit by producing energy through other means – such as by consuming fat, increasing metabolic rate and increasing body temperature.

He said DNP could cause uncontrolled hyperthermia which is an unsustainable high temperature and cells begin to die.

"Our bodies under normal circumstances like to tightly regulate temperature and any large increase will denature enzymes, ultimately leading to cell death."

He said as cells died, they could release toxic potassium and also damage the kidneys.

"The final potential outcome of DNP poisoning is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multi-organ dysfunction resulting in death," said Dr Bhatti.

He added: "There is no known antidote at present."

Eloise's mother Fiona Parry has also urged other girls not to make the same mistake as her daughter.

She said: "People see them as an easy way to lose weight and get that super-slim figure teenagers desire.

"At that age it is very important, they want to look the right way, say the right things, hang around with the 'right' people, create the right impression.

"I can't change the fact that Ella had her mixed-up moments and wasn't the perfect teenager, and I can't change the fact we have lost her, which I regret deeply.

"But what I do want to do is make sure nobody else makes the same mistakes she made."

Personal trainer Darren Klemencic also warned about the dangers of buying tablets online.

He said: "There is no quick fix to long-term weight loss.

"It's about being consistent with a healthy diet and regular exercise."

Mr Klemencic advises people against attempting to lose weight too quickly, calling it a "yo-yo diet" which can result in a "metabolic rebound effect".

Dr Bhatti added: "Buying drugs online is a dangerous business.

"Do you really know what you are buying?

"Many legally prescribed medicines that you may get from the doctor are safe for you, but in the same dose can lead to the death of someone else.

"So if we know this about legal medicines in the UK, why consume unknown tablets bought over the internet?"

An inquest into Eloise has been adjourned until July 2.

Professor Rod Thomson, Shropshire Council's director of public health, said: "It is important that people remember that any drugs or substances from unregistered websites could be potentially unsafe.

"This includes those which claim to bring about improvements to the body, such as slimming pills."

Dr Bhatti added: "Diet pills do not work, and there is a high risk of death using products such as DNP which can be fatally toxic.

"They are indeed, not fit for human consumption. For any medical advice, see your doctor."