Many medications have potential negative side effects. Depending on the type of medication, these can include changes in appetite, energy and activity level, metabolism and weight. Antidepressants are one class of medication that carries a risk of such changes.

Progesterone is a type of hormone that is produced in the body. In women, the purpose of progesterone is to regulate the menstrual cycle. Men also produce a small amount of the hormone, which is specifically useful for the production of other hormones.

Although you can include safflower oil -- in moderation -- in your diet and successfully shed pounds, consuming safflower oil regularly isn’t a guarantee you’ll lose weight. But safflower oil can provide you with some health benefits during your weight-loss journey and may affect your body fat.

Smoking not only increases your risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease; it also causes you to store fat around your middle. Despite its ability to squelch hunger pains, a study published in a 2012 issue of "PLoS One" found that smokers had more belly fat than their non-smoking counterparts.

Body shapers give the illusion of a smaller figure, flattening the stomach and bringing in the waist line, and it's only natural to want those changes to be permanent.

Prozac is the brand name product of fluoxetine, an antidepressant that belongs to the class called the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. You will need a doctor's prescription for this medication, used for treating depression, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Whether you want to gain weight to fill out your jeans or to make a certain cut for a sports team, you may have considered taking a weight gain supplement. Weight gain pills can help you pack on pounds quickly, but there may be health risks involved. Before taking a weight gain pill, talk to your doctor.

A high protein diet can cause gastric distress and diarrhea due to a lack of fiber, an over-consumption of dairy products such as cheese or cream, or highly processed manufactured low carb snack foods. Chronic diarrhea can lead to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance, causing mineral loss.

Though the Lemon Juice Diet isn't as overly restrictive as some diets that involve lemon juice, it does help you lose weight by limiting your food choices to healthy options. But don't expect to drop a lot of pounds in a short period of time on this plan.

If you’ve been through a long illness or a period of emotional stress, your clothes may be baggy, and your family and friends might comment on how gaunt you look. A body mass index below 18.5 is considered underweight -- a condition that can affect your overall health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 17 percent of children ages 2 to 19 years old are obese in the United States. Helping your child achieve and maintain a healthy weight is an important job for any parent or caregiver. Remember, every child is a different size and grows at a different rate.

If you've ever weighed at night before you go to bed and then again first thing the next morning, you noticed that there is usually a difference of anywhere from one to three pounds. You may have wondered how this could happen because you didn't seem to be expending any energy while you were asleep.