They can help you stop smoking, but can slimming patches help you lose weight?

The mechanism is the same - slimming patches slowly release drugs into your body to help you lose weight. Let's look at the different types. The two most popular ones are:

Hoodia Gordonii - a herb from South Africa that has been used for centuries to control appetite.
Fucus vesiculosus - this 100% natural seaweed extract is reputed to help stimulate your metabolic rate, suppress your appetite and boost energy levels.

Other slimming patches are less specific about what they contain - descriptions like "a unique combination of herbs and nutrients" are common. So do they work?

The jury is still out. As with many weight loss products, there is a dearth of controlled scientific data to support the claims. Products usually claim to raise your metabolism, reduce your appetite, or even reduce cellulite, and there is limited evidence that both fucus and Hoodia can do this.

However, it is worth noting that the Committee of Advertising Practice has said that it is 'gravely concerned' about the 'flagrant disregard' of the British Code of Advertising Practice by companies selling these products.

In particular they noted that many companies do not point out that to be effective these products should be as part of a calorie controlled diet - these are not miracle products and will not work without effort on your part.