Diet pill set to hit shelves

A DIET pill that helps people drop-a-dress-size could be on sale within months.

An American company wants to sell lorcaserin, under the brand name of Belviq, across Europe and plans to produce a version for children as young as six, if regulators give permission.

The pill is taken before breakfast and dinner and regulates appetite, making users feel less hungry.  In a study of 7,000 people, dieters who took the pill for a year lost an average 8 per cent body weight and in extreme cases up to 40 per cent.

Side effects suffered by some included headaches, dizziness and nausea.