THE DANGERS OF DIET AIDS About a month ago, I stepped onto my bathroom scales. When I looked down at the numbers, my fears were confirmed: I had gained 5 pounds. Overcome with a desire to shed this unwanted extra weight, I decided to join millions of Americans just like me, and buy some sort of diet aid to help me along. I had no idea what to look for, what to avoid, and possible side effects, so I began to research the different types of diet aids, both chemical and herbal, and was hit with some very disturbing facts. It has been estimated that nearly 10 million women in the U.S. buy over-the-counter diet aids.(Cottrell, 99) Diet aids come in the form of pills, tabl