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Weight loss, but at what cost? That's the question now facing dieters eyeing a new product on pharmacy shelves called Alli®. Alli may help, but it won't take pounds off magically. It also has some distressing and possibly embarrassing side effects.
Alli (AL-eye) is the first nonprescription drug for weight loss approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If you combine it with a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet and exercise, taking the drug can help you lose 50 percent more weight. So, if you lose eight pounds on your own, you could lose a total of 12 pounds with Alli.
Alli doesn't curb appetite like traditional diet pills. Instead, the drug blocks some of the fat you eat from being digested. The fat that is not absorbed in your body is then released through bowel movements.
What happens if you take the capsule and then go out for a milkshake, burger and fries? Good thing you asked.
If you eat too much fatty food while taking Alli, there is payback. You can have gas, oily discharge, cramps or diarrhea - sometimes uncontrollable. The drug's maker advises you to bring a change of clothing to work and to wear dark pants until you get the hang of the diet.
No quick fix
According to the drug's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, you shouldn't try Alli just to see what happens. You have to commit to a plan.
The drug is intended for use with a diet and exercise program. Weight loss is slow and modest. If you take in 2,000 calories (30 percent in fat) per day, Alli will block about 150 of those calories.
The weight-loss effect of the drug is clinically proven. Alli is the half-strength, over-the-counter version of Xenical® (formerly Orlistat®), a prescription weight-loss drug approved by the FDA in 1999.
The capsule is taken with each meal, up to three times a day. You are allowed 15 grams to 20 grams of fat per meal. Go over that limit and the nasty side effects begin.
Despite that, retailers say that Alli is flying off the shelves since it arrived this month. The cost is about $55 monthly.
Is it safe?
In studies on Xenical, many gained back some of the pounds they lost. No long-term safety risks have been seen, though. The drug clears out of the body after each use. Alli won't make you feel jittery or keep you awake like some other diet drugs. It works on the digestive system, not the heart, so there is no risk of heart damage. That's the problem that forced diet drugs ephedra and fen-phen off the market.
While you don't need a prescription to buy Alli, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about it first. Alli is not recommended for everyone, including some people with diabetes and thyroid disease. It can cause interactions with some medications. Also take a multivitamin at bedtime because there is some risk of nutrient loss.
Are gas, leakage and a race to the bathroom small prices to pay to be thinner and healthier? Alli may give some dieters the incentive they need to stick to a low-fat diet. For others, old-fashioned portion control, calorie counting and exercise programs may be looking a lot better.
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