To the Editor: Rising obesity rates in high income countries have resulted in a growing demand for weight‐loss products.1 Unfortunately, drugs that increase energy expenditure often have severe adverse effects. 2,4‐Dinitrophenol (DNP) uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, inducing a hyper‐metabolic state. It was first used for weight loss in the 1930s but was banned due to deaths.2 It has recently had a resurgence in popularity in the body building/body sculpting arena as a “fat burner” and “pre‐event shredder”, and is available online and as an undeclared ingredient in supplements.1
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This work was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Program Grant (ID: 1055176). Jared Brown is a recipient of a UNSW Scientia PhD scholarship. The funders had no role in planning, design, data collection, analysis or interpretation, reporting or publication. We thank staff at the NSWPIC and the NCIS for providing data. The NCIS is managed by the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety.
No relevant disclosures.