The problem with Reductil is that you can't be prescribed it if you have higher than normal blood pressure so that counted me (and probably lots of overweight people) out. Also, many people don't just eat in response to hunger so dulling the appetite isn't the answer in many cases. They don't really address the issue of emotional eating and encourage the development of new coping mechanisms. If the NHS prescribed them in conjunction with CBT and nutritional advice then they'd have a better chance of working.
With regards to the plethera of other pills on offer (adios etc etc) I think that they can sometimes give some people the impression that they can carry on eating as before and the pill will 'magically' do the work - which they don't.
The blurb accompanying the pills often say 'use in conjunction with a calorie controlled diet ...' Really? Any possibility that it's the reduced calories that's having the desired effect?
Problem is, it's hard to tell whether they're having any effect or not if the person taking them IS eating fewer cals and IS subsequently losing weight. How much of it is down to the diet and how much the pills?
However, the person taking them is likely to attribute their success to the pills and be reluctant to stop taking them - they'd also then 'recommend' them to others.
The whole slimming pill issue is a bit of a minefield IMO.
Debbie x