There are many situations throughout history where it has been essential in a situation of plenty and starvation to curb hunger cravings. Starvation is so common now in various parts of the world that during the high but rapidly ending economic cycle the nation's conscience is pricked by many adverts for help. Banks have of course freely allowed credit at low interest rates then increased them steeply to curb inflation and of course increase their profits to the point that people cannot pay their mortgage or service their borrowings, then massive defaults follow. You cannot imagine Banks going bankrupt but during the recent cyclical collapse I don't think any bank was immune. Then world starvation is forgotten as civilised people scramble to try and save their own financial security. Many fail.

Hunger repression, however, in the context of this book is aimed at those people that cannot slim and have to for critical health issues. Useful I believe for the large majority that wish to keep trim for vanity reasons also. Where in starvation situations the victim wishes some respite from hunger pain, these remedies will, I know help, but of course food is here necessary to save life and in the other, food has to be abolished to save life. On Haiti hunger is endemic due to poverty and often their solution is to fry earth balls in oil to act as a bulking hunger suppressant. I have not advised this in this book.

It is important to realise that being seriously overweight is an illness that if not redressed will kill once symptoms arrive. As such the author advises that a crash program of weight loss is possible with the aid of these plants but under these conditions should be with the guidance of a qualified health care professional with whom the patient is comfortable with. This health care professional should have taken a course on obesity conducted by the author so that he or she understands the effects of these suppressants and the pathology of obesity which is a large subject. This understanding should give the patient the confidence to continue and hopefully diet down and maintain the weight loss, increasing the chances of long term survival.

The herbs that help with hunger repression and help with conditions which are obesity related have been listed under the various sections and the dosage can vary from patient to patient and should be taken as above with the guidance of a health care professional. Those dosages that have been listed are standard textbook doses and are judged to be quite safe. Many can be bought for self-medication at health food stores but advice should be sought from a health care provider if seriously overweight or there are symptoms of obesity. Many people try to self-medicate but fail or succeed to give in and relapse later.