" The endorsement is accompanied by a photograph of its author, Karen, and a week-by-week account of her dramatic weight loss.Karen, a slim, perma-tanned, peroxide blonde in her 30s, says she weighed 111/2 stone.Within ten days, she had lost 10lb, after two months she'd shed 28lb. If Karen had stuck rigorously to a balanced diet and work-out regime to shed the pounds, her triumphant tone might be understandable.After just six months, she had lost 33lb and weighed just over nine stone. However, the secret of her slim-line figure has little to do with healthy living.I ordered two weeks' supply for around £100," she says."The instructions on the site said I should take one a day. I couldn't eat anything more than a few apples and a slice of toast." At night, she'd lie awake staring at the ceiling.Die Flash-Version hat den kompletten Funktionsumfang und ist optimiert.Wir empfehlen allen unseren Nutzern, sich für die Flash-Version des Chats zu entscheiden.

Indeed, experts are warning that thousands of women are putting their lives at risk by buying diet drugs online.

Judging by the photo, Karen wasn't particularly-plump to start with. Like many of the women posting evangelical messages on this and many other dieting websites, much of Karen's weight loss is due to the work of a little white and blue speckled pill known as phentermine.

Still, messages of congratulations from other website users follow. This drug, which is closely related to amphetamines, works as an appetite suppressant, stimulating the release of brain chemicals, which reduce sensations of hunger.

What Karen does not mention are the common side-effects of phentermine, which include mood swings, chest pain, tremors and irregular heartbeat.

And if you overdose, it can lead to hallucinations, seizures, severe headaches, blurred vision and vomiting.