A middle aged woman is forced to lose weight because she can no longer keep up with the rigorous schedule of her three teenage sons and four year old daughter. She feels as if exercise will take up too much time that she does not have, but she has heard dietary supplements pose several health risks. However, she is forced to realize that her two alternatives are to exercise daily or to take a dietary supplement, ephedrine.
             Primarily, exercise makes muscle eat fat. During exercise triglycerides are reduced which are fats that cause heart attacks. "Exercise causes a surge in blood volume by turning down the sensitivity of the volume-control system: a sensor in the right chamber of the heart that monitors blood volume and tells the kidneys to remove fluid when that volume gets high." (Barinaga, 1997) This larger blood volume makes the heart pump more efficiently. Muscles in turn create an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase which chews up triglycerides for muscles to use. This lipoprotein lipase reduces stored fat and cholesterol in blood. Fat is then decreased in the arteries when the volume of blood increases during exercise. This yields to effective, safe, and beneficial weight loss. Health professionals throughout history have always said people that exercise on a regular basis, have better health, improved physical function, and increased life span. Exercise is a form of natural weight loss.
             Ephedrine on the other hand enhances weight loss by entering the bloodstream as a drug. It has to be used under direct supervision of a health professional, yielding to the severe toll that it takes on an individual's body. One must "consult [their] physician before using this product if [they] have a history of heart problems." (Hayes, 2001) To completely grasp the way Ephedrine affects the body one must note that it is normal to feel dizzy, experience shortened breath, and
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